


Evergreenelan

by gay_relations



Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: F/F, anyways this is gonna be cheesy and christmasy and fun, hallmark but make it gay, look at me trying a real summary and absolutely hating it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:53:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 32,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21695701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gay_relations/pseuds/gay_relations
Summary: Alyssa Greene and Emma Nolan didn't leave their childhood on the best terms. 18 years later, with a nudge from Betsy and Veronica and a little Christmas magic, the two reunite to work together on Edgewater's Christmas Pageant.akaa greenelan hallmark christmas cheese fest
Relationships: Alyssa Greene/Emma Nolan
Comments: 42
Kudos: 145





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is more a prologue/set up for the fic. the style and format is a little different, but will resume to normal in the upcoming chapters. i hope you're not lactose intolerant cause it's about to get cheesy, y'all. The biggest thanks for yelling goes to Fives, Seaunicorn, Scoresandstars, and my OG yeller, Cled. Love you all to pieces! also... writing for children is difficult. anyways. enjoy!

_**Age 7** _

“Emma Nolan...” 

“Please be a sheep... Please be a sheep…” Emma muttered to herself, her fingers crossed tightly.

“Sheep.”

“Yes!” Emma exclaimed, jumping up from her seat and running up to the stage to get her costume. 

Emma hadn’t been the most excited when her grandparents told her she was going to be in a Christmas pageant. She was quite shy and the idea of being on stage with a room full of people watching her did not sound like her ideal way to spend her time. But then her grandparents walked her into the gymnasium and she caught a glimpse of the awesome sheep costume and suddenly it didn’t seem like the worst thing in the world. 

Scooping the giant bundle of cotton into her tiny arms the best she could, Emma raced over to where the rest of the “animals” were waiting. A lot of the other kids were much bigger and Emma felt her nerves begin to creep back in. She found a spot in the back and decided to hide out there. Sitting down, she began running her hands over the fluffy costume and tried to keep her focus on that instead of how small she felt surrounded by the older kids. 

“Alyssa Greene…. Sheep.”

Emma perked up, excited to see who her fellow sheep would be. Instead, she saw a second sheep costume balled up with two tiny legs sticking out underneath and hobbling it’s way over. Getting up from her spot, Emma scurried over to help the other girl carry the outfit. 

“Here, let me help,” Emma said, taking the costume from her. With it bunched up in her arms, Emma lifted her chin to rest it on top and sneak a peek at who was on the other side. When Emma’s eyes landed on the other little girl, her stomach swooped, kind of like it did on the rollercoaster her grandpa snuck her onto at the fall carnival. Emma had never seen such curly hair or big brown eyes before. She looked like a Disney Princess only prettier. “Uh, hi. I’m sheep and I’m gonna be an Emma too.”

The other girl’s face scrunched up before she burst into a fit of giggles. “Hi, sheep. I think you’ll make a great Emma.”

“Wait no, I meant-”

“I know, I’m just kidding. I’m Alyssa. It’s nice to meet you, Emma.” she said with a bright smile.

Emma laughed nervously before saying, “Do you wanna sit with me? My stuff is over there.”

Alyssa nodded enthusiastically before following Emma to her spot. The two sat next to each other. 

“I’m really excited to be a sheep. It’s what I was hoping to get! Are you really excited too?” Emma rambled excitedly.

“I guess,” Alyssa said with a shrug, biting the insides of her cheeks and trying not to frown. “I was really hoping to be the angel. It’s the prettiest and my dad said it’s the best role I could get.”

Emma’s eyebrows knotted as she tried to understand how someone could possibly want to be an angel over a _sheep_. Then she heard her grandmother’s voice reminding her it’s not nice to judge. Her face lit up again as she said, “I bet you’ll get it next year, Alyssa.”

“You really think so?”

“Of course. You’re definitely pretty enough to be the angel,” Emma said with a cheesy grin.

“Thanks, Emma,” Alyssa replied looking away bashfully. Then, as if realization struck, Alyssa asked, “How come I’ve never seen you at school?”

“Oh, I don’t live in Edgewater. Just my grandparents do. I get to spend the winter break with them though and they thought the pageant might help with my shyness.” 

“You don’t seem shy to me.”

Emma thought hard for a moment. “I guess you make me feel safe to be me.”

“Good. Me too.” Alyssa said emphatically, a very serious look in her eyes.

They didn’t leave each others side once that Christmas and by the time the pageant was over, Emma was already looking forward to coming back next year.

//

_**Age 8** _

“Alyssa Greene…”

Alyssa sat on the edge of her seat as she waited to find out what her role would be for the pageant this year. She smoothed out her dress and adjusted her headband in an attempt to appear calm and collected. Unfortunately, her leg wouldn’t stop bouncing in anticipation. She wanted so badly to be the Christmas Angel.

“You’re a shoe in for angel, Lys, don’t worry,” Emma whispered, leaning close enough so only Alyssa could hear her. 

Alyssa glanced at her, faking a smile, before her attention snapped back to the pageant director.

“Alyssa Greene....Oh, there you are. Calf!”

All air left her lungs as the words settled in. She was absolutely crushed. It was bad enough not getting angel, but she was stuck as another animal, one that was arguably worse than last year. Her heart sunk and she blinked back tears.

Emma rest her hand over Alyssa’s and offered, “That’s okay, Lys. Maybe I’ll be a calf too and we can be together again this year.”

With a weak smile and a nod, Alyssa mumbled, “Yeah, that’d be great,” before standing up and going off to retrieve her spotted costume. 

With costume in hand, she found the spot in the back where they had sat last year. Setting it to the side, she sat down and pulled her knees tight to her chest and waited for Emma. 

“Emma Nolan… Shepherd.” 

It felt like a second punch to her gut. Not only was she stuck as an animal again, but now she would have to suffer through it without Emma. 

Emma offered her a sympathetic frown as she grabbed the shepherds robe and crook. Alyssa could see Emma out of the corner of her eye, waving and desperately trying to get her attention. She knew it wasn’t Emma’s fault, but a small part of her was mad at the girl. Not only did she get Alyssa’s hopes up, but then she went and got a better role than Alyssa. Emma didn’t even live in Edgewater. It wasn’t fair.

Alyssa spent most of the rehearsal avoiding Emma. Or trying to, at least. It was easy at first. Alyssa could hide amongst the other animals and stay out of her line of sight. But Emma was persistent and kept finding her way close enough to quietly call her name. After a few times, Alyssa turned around and hushed her perhaps a tad more harshly than she intended. Emma’s face dropped and Alyssa felt a small pang in her heart. “I... “

But before Alyssa could apologize, Emma was being called off to go over her lines.

Alyssa wished she had lines to go over.

As rehearsals went on and they got closer to the pageant, the tension between the girls began to grow. Despite Alyssas’s best efforts, it wasn’t easy to ignore Emma. She had slowly become more and more of a nuisance to Alyssa as rehearsals went on. Sometimes when she was sitting behind Alyssa, she would find loose straw from the set and use it to tickle the back of Alyssa’s neck. She’d also gotten in the habit of moo-ing at Alyssa anytime she passed. 

The worst though was when Emma started using her shepherd’s crook to poke her, telling her to “get”. 

Past her limit, Alyssa turned around and snapped, “What are you doing?”

Emma’s eyes grew wide when Alyssa finally spoke to her. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Alyssa said a little less defensive. “What are you doing?”

“I was, uh, herding you. Get it? Cause I’m a shepherd and you’re a-”

“Yeah, I get it. I guess it’s just not that funny.”

Emma’s eyebrows knotted. “Well, maybe not to you, but I think it’s pretty funny.”

“It’s not funny.” Alyssa said again, crossing her arms and taking a step closer to Emma.”It’s dumb.”

Emma took a step forward too. “No, it’s funny.”

“Dumb.”

“Funny”

“Dumb.”

“Funny.”

They were now practically nose to nose, both girls with arms crossed and glaring at the other. “It’s dumb and anyone who thinks it’s funny is probably dumb too.”

Emma stares at her a moment longer before leaning back and arching an eyebrow. “Well, it takes one to know one.”

Alyssa scrunched her nose and shook her head. “That doesn’t even make sense.” 

“If you don’t understand, maybe that makes you the dumb one,” 

“I-“ Alyssa started but Emma was already walking away. Alyssa huffed before retreating back to the pen where the other animals were hanging out. 

//

_**Age 9** _

Emma sat on the floor of the gymnasium playing with her shepherd’s crook, using it to pull loose straw towards her before throwing it back into place. She glanced over at Alyssa, who was dressed as a wiseman, looking glum and distant while she ignored the other two in her trio. 

Sighing, Emma slumped her face into her hands. She wasn’t really sure what even happened last year. One second they were fine and the next Alyssa was giving her the cold shoulder. It drove Emma mad to the point where she was desperate to do anything just to have Alyssa look at her again. But then things got out of control and well… They couldn’t speak without getting into a bickering match.

Anyway, she felt at a loss. Not only were things weird with Alyssa now, but she also didn’t get to wear the cool sheep costume anymore. Although she did like the cool new stick she got to carry around. Still, if it wasn’t for the proud look on her grandparents face at the end of the pageant each year, Emma would’ve quit all together. 

“Kids… Kids.... Quiet down, please. Something rather unfortunate happened last night. As you may have noticed, we’re missing our darling angel today. Last night she hurt her leg sledding and she’ll no longer be able to be in the pageant, so we will be moving some of you around today. Stepping up for the role of Christmas Angel will be...”

Emma’s eyes grew wide and she couldn’t help but look at Alyssa. For the first time in a while, she seemed hopeful. Their eyes met for a moment and Emma crossed her fingers in Alyssa’s direction earning her a small smile in return.

“Emma Nolan.”

Emma watched Alyssa’s face drop again.

“Emma Nolan? Come up here please.”

While all she really wanted to do was go to Alyssa, she instead sighed and headed up to stand next to their director. Everyone clapped for her and she frowned a little as she handed over her cool stick in exchange for some droopy wings. 

The only positive Emma could cling to in that moment was that Alyssa’s full attention was on her again. Sure, it was in the form of intense glare, but at least it was something.

“If anything happens to me, everyone will know you did it,” Emma said, walking up to Alyssa.

“What are you going on about?”

“Ya know, if I suddenly don’t show up to rehearsal, people will know you did it.”

“Yeah? And why would I make you disappear?”

“You’re after my crown. Or in this case, halo.” Emma said, dangling the object in front of Alyssa’s face.

Alyssa rolled her eyes and swatted it away. “Don’t you have anything better to do?” 

“I’ve always got time for my fans,” Emma said with a smirk. 

A scowl covered Alyssa’s face and she was about to say something when the director called over to them.

“Emma? I need you to try on the costume before you leave today.”

Frowning slightly, Emma said, “I guess I gotta go.”

“Oh darn,” Alyssa feigned.

Emma looked at her for a moment before shaking her head and smiling softly.

As Emma walked away, she felt electric. That was the longest conversation she’d had with Alyssa since they were seven. Sure, it wasn’t necessarily ideal and Alyssa seemed extra feisty that day but in that moment Emma didn’t care.

As she fumbled around trying to get her wings on, she overheard a few of the moms talking hushed back and forth.

“It’s so sad… They haven’t heard a word from him. It’s been nearly three weeks.”

“Oh my. And during the holidays as well.”

Emma knew it wasn’t polite to eavesdrop, but she couldn’t help but quiet her movements and listen on.

“I think the saddest part is that Alyssa seems to have accepted it while Veronica is still going around town telling people he’s just away on business.”

“Poor thing. I couldn’t imagine my kids having to grow up without their father around.”

Emma tripped over herself, causing a noise loud enough to silence the women. She mumbled an apology and ran off. 

Before Emma went outside to find her gran, she found Alyssa off by herself again, looking forlorn. Emma’s heart hurt for the girl and all she wanted was to make her smile. She made her way over, coughing loud enough to alert Alyssa of her presence.

Standing near Alyssa, Emma wiggled the wings on her back, smiling softly as she asked, “Do you wanna try them on?”

“ _No_ , Emma, I don’t want to try them on,” Alyssa grumbled, refusing to look at her.

“I didn’t ask to be the angel, Lys. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, well, you didn’t turn it down either.”

Emma chewed her lip. “Is that what you want me to do?”

“Yes. No. I don’t know. Do whatever you want.”

“All I want it to be a sheep with my friend again,” Emma mumbled. “Look, I’ll go talk to the director and tell them you should be the angel.”

“No, I don’t need your pity, Em. I don’t need anybody’s pity. Just leave me alone.”

“Lys…”

“I said leave me alone!”

Emma hesitated for a moment before walking away. The two didn’t talk much for the rest of pageant.

//

_**Age 10** _

Alyssa sighed, flipping open and closed her box of myrrh - whatever the heck that even was. She had meant to look it up after carrying it around all last Christmas, but as soon as the pageant was over, she shoved away all memories of it even happening. But now here she was again, a second year as the same wiseman with the same, stupid _whatever it was_.

“Children, please. Quiet down! I understand some of you have complaints about the influx of repeat roles this year, but our costume designer quit and we just can’t arrange to have costumes refitted this year. So if you are truly upset about being cast as the same character, take it up with genetics and not having a significant growth spurt since the last pageant,” the director explained. 

She looked exhausted and Alyssa almost felt bad. But then she saw Emma Nolan walking around with her dumb wings and her dumb halo and all she felt was irritated. 

They hadn’t spoken much since Emma became the angel last year. Emma waved to her the first day but Alyssa couldn’t bring herself to return the gesture.

During a break in rehearsal, some of the older kids decided to go outside and play in the snow. Alyssa hesitated before joining them, setting her prop on a nearby picnic table. She was building a snowman with a few of the other girls when a snowball hit her firm in the side of her head.

Shaking the snow out of her hair, Alyssa looked around until she spotted a very guilty look Emma Nolan peeking out from behind a tree. 

“Oh it’s on,” Alyssa muttered to herself 

The two chased each other around during the break, throwing snowballs back and forth. Emma had a better arm, but Alyssa was quicker and it made for a close game.

After a while of running around and chucking handfuls of snow at the other, the director came out to call everyone back in for rehearsal. 

Emma and Alyssa froze, both with a snowball in their hand, arm raised and ready to release. 

Panting, Alyssa called out, “Truce to go back inside?”

“Yeah, sure. Truce,” Emma called back, equally out of breath. 

Alyssa nodded and let her ammo plop to the ground. She walked over to the table to grab the myrrh before she started her way inside. But just as she picked up the prop, another snowball hit her square in the cheek.

“Nolan!”

“Sorry, Lys. That was the last one, I promise.”

Huffing, Alyssa turned around and crossed her arms. “We called a truce.”

“Yeah, but I wanted to throw one more,” Emma said simply and with a shrug.

With more emphasis, Alyssa repeated, “But we called a truce.” 

“Oh no, Lys, what are you gonna do? _Myrrh_ der me?” Emma teased with an obnoxious smirk. 

“I am now!” Alyssa shouted.

And then they were off again.

//

_**Age 11** _

Emma came to Edgewater that year with one goal and one goal only: she was going to be nothing but friendly to Alyssa that year. 

Emma spent a good majority of time between pageants thinking about Alyssa and her indescribable urge to push the girls buttons. She didn’t _want_ to do it most of the time. It just happened. She definitely liked Ayssa so it wasn’t meant to be ill-intentioned. Yet she still found herself finding new ways to get under Alyssa’s skin without meaning to time after time. 

But not this year. No, things would be different for this Christmas season. 

Emma just hadn’t quite figured out how yet. 

When she saw Alyssa for the first time since last year, Emma resisted the urge to wave or say hi or do anything that might lead to snark. Instead, she kept her distance the best she could and waited for the right moment.

Emma got cast as the Christmas Angel _again_. She tried to object this year, but the director brushed her off. 

Alyssa got cast as a wiseman again, but this year she got to hold the fake gold instead of the myrrh, which Emma thought was pretty cool. When Alyssa past her with her new prop, Emma couldn’t help but call out, “Hey, ‘Lys! Congrats on getting a different wiseman role this year.”

“Very funny, Nolan, but joke’s on you. I’d rather play the role of a wiseman again than have to live as a wiseass.”

Emma’s mouth hung open, shellshocked and entirely speechless at Alyssa Greene using a curse, albeit a tame one but still. After a moment, Emma burst out laughing.

“Oh sure, everything’s funny to you. I’m surprised they haven’t asked you to play Baby Jesus yet, since you already act like such a baby.”

Emma’s smirk grew as she replied, “Yeah, well I’m surprised they haven’t cast you as a donkey, since you insist on acting like such a a-”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence.”

“Why? What are you gonna do about it?”

And just like that, the two slipped back into their usual rapport, bickering and pushing each other's buttons.

At least Emma could say she tried. There was always next year, afterall. 

//

_**Age 12** _

Alyssa sat in her chair, slumped back and picking at her nails. This was the last year she would have to put up with getting lost in the shadow of Emma Nolan. Next year she would move on to middle school and there would be no more humiliation, no more teasing, no more disappointment. She just had to make it through this one last pageant. 

“Alyssa Greene…”

 _Maybe I’ll get to be the third wiseman this year,_ Alyssa thought. _Complete the trifecta._

“Christmas Angel.”

Alyssa’s jaw dropped. She blinked a few times, hardly believing what she heard. After all these years, she _finally_ got to play the coveted role of Christmas Angel. She practically sprinted to the front of the room to retrieve her costume. Without hesitation, she unceremoniously threw the white fabric over her head and slipped into it. A comforting smell took over her senses, but she was too excited to think anything of it. 

Alyssa Greene was finally the Christmas Angel and nothing else mattered.

It wasn’t until an hour into the rehearsal that Alyssa started to feel as if something was missing. It didn’t make sense. Being the angel was all she had wanted for years, yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. She knew all the lines. She’d had them memorized since she was seven. The costume fit well enough, so that couldn’t have been it either.

Deep in thought, Alyssa forgot to watch where she was going and walked right into the swinging path of the shepherd’s crook. That was when it hit her - quite literally. Her eyebrows knotted as she scanned the room, looking for unruly blonde curls and listening for that carefree laugh. When her search came up empty, she ran to the director and asked if she knew anything. 

“Oh, I’m sorry dear. Emma won’t be able to make it to town this year for Christmas.”

A feeling Alyssa couldn’t quite identify tightened in her chest. 

_Leave it to Nolan to dip out on the last year of the pageant. She probably thought she was too cool for it anyways._

Deciding not to let Emma ruin this moment for her, Alyssa shook the feeling and buried herself in the rehearsal. It’s not like she was gonna miss the constantly teasing and not-funny-in-the-slightest quips anyway. 

Perhaps she might’ve felt different if she knew she wouldn’t see Emma Nolan again for another 18 years.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we in it now, babyyy!

“Come on, Barry, you gotta move faster than that!” Emma teased to her best friend stringing Christmas lights on the other side of the road. It was the day after Thanksgiving, which in Edgewater meant the first day of Christmas. As had become tradition, Emma and Barry volunteered to hang up the lights around town. Even though Edgewater was small, its townsfolk still worked together to get everything done for the holiday season. There were people who hung wreaths and others who made bows. Where the town lacked in population size, they made up for in spirit.

“Emma, need I remind you, I am not thirty anymore. Not all of us can be as young and agile as you,” Barry called back, slightly out of breath. 

Emma chuckled to herself as she continued working on her section. It was rare for Barry to admit he was getting old. He spent his early 40’s telling everyone he was still 35, and only recently began accepting that he was on the verge of 50. Emma was almost proud of him. Either way, she would be done soon and, like always, would help Barry finish up his area. 

Going on ten years of light hanging, Emma easily slipped into routine, humming to herself as she mindlessly worked on her task. Christmas was her favorite time of year and she couldn’t think of a better way to start off the season every year than by helping the town get into the spirit of things. Emma couldn’t quite explain it, but this time of year just made the day to day life a little more special. And this year would be extra special because she finally got the honor of directing the towns infamous Christmas pageant. The pageant held a weird but special place in Emma’s heart and she couldn’t hide how excited she was to be in charge of it this year. 

Lost in thought and jamming to her own rendition of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,'' Emma didn’t quite hear the sound of heels clickin against concrete or the rushed conversation into a cell phone growing louder by the second.

Emma kept with her task, trying to hang the last stretch of lights over the hook, but the particular string of lights she currently held didn’t quite reach. Having done the same thing for years and knowing there should be more than enough of the strand left to work just fine, she tugged firmly on the cord, sure it was only caught on something.

The next thing she knew, a yelp was ringing in her ears and she was turning around, reaching out and catching a woman in her arms. 

Emma opened her mouth to begin apologizing, but all words caught in her throat as she laid eyes on the woman before her. She had dark, wild curls and her lips were painted a warm pink that complimented her caramel skin. If Emma had to describe her outfit, she would use the phrase “business casual”, but couldn’t ignore the way it still nicely showed her figure. But the thing that caught her attention more than anything were her eyes. They were fierce yet soft, having a sort of depth to them that was honest, and Emma felt herself falling fast and familiarly. 

The woman stared back, her expression shifting from irritation to awe as her eyes darted around Emma’s face. Her cheeks began to grow warm under the woman’s gaze and she was suddenly desperate for air. Slowly and gently, she lifted her up until she was steady back on her feet.

Shaking her head, Emma started, “I’m so sorry, A-”

“No, I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going and…” Her voice drifted off, matching perfectly with her still dazed expression. Shyly tucking a hair behind her ear, she said, “I guess it’s a good thing you were here to catch me.”

Emma’s heart skipped a beat. “Oh, it was, uh, no biggie.”

“You saved me from a bruised tailbone and bruised ego. That’s pretty big to me. I’d love to buy you coffee or-” She was interrupted by persistent screeching echoing from her phone. Sighing, she thanked Emma before putting the phone up to her ear. “No I’m still here. Yes, I do take this very seriously, I just had a little incident…”

With a small wave, the woman was spinning with flair and walking away.

Emma watched, still a little stunned, as she disappeared around a corner.

“Finished! And I didn’t even need your help this year,” Barry practically sang as he crossed the street to join Emma. “Wow, I even beat you.”

“Yeah, that’s great, Bar,” Emma said, her tone distant.

Sighing, Barry rest a hand on Emma’s shoulder. “What’s up, kid? First, I finished before you, which hasn’t happened since the first year when I tricked you into taking half my area too. And now you’re staring off into the distance like you’ve just seen a ghost?”

Emma blinked a few times. “I… I think I did.”

//

“Mom, I love you but please let me go now,” Alyssa mumbled.

“I will,” Veronica said, a little too emphatically before adding, “in just a minute.”

“Moooom,” Alyssa whined, starting to squirm in an attempt to escape her mother’s tight embrace. 

Mrs. Greene hugged her tighter for a moment before pressing a big, dramatic kiss on her forehead and releasing her. 

“I missed you too, mom,” Alyssa giggled.

“Oh sure you did. That’s why you always call and make time to visit. Oh wait,” her mother teased, raising her eyebrows at Alyssa.

“Now that’s not fair. You know how busy I am with work,” Alyssa countered. “Besides, I’m here now.”

Sighing, Veronica nodded and smiled. “You’re absolutely right, dear. And you get to stay all through the holiday’s, right?”

“I should, yes. I’m allowed to work remotely while the firm is being remodeled and it’s estimated to last till the end of the year,” Alyssa clarified, as she followed her mother into the kitchen and found a seat at the island. 

“Oh, honey, I’m so excited! It’s been ages since you’ve made it home for the holidays.”

“Yeah, I’m actually kind of excited too,” Alyssa said, a little surprise in her tone. 

“Please, darling, do try and save some enthusiasm for the rest of us,” her mother delivered dryly.

Alyssa chuckled. “Sorry, mom. I really am excited, it’s just… A little weird. I’ve only been back for Christmas twice since I left Edgewater, and even then it was just for a few days. I haven’t had the full Edgewater Christmas experience since I was 15.”

“Ah yes, when you were 15 and decided to abandon your poor mother to go off to that fancy boarding school you insisted would get you ahead of the game.”

“And it did. Look at me, mom. I got into Columbia with ease, graduated top of my class, did it all again at Harvard Law, and now I work at one of the best law firms in the city.”

“Yes, I know, Alyssa. And that’s all very impressive, but-”

“What?”

Veronica’s eyebrows drew together as she paused for a moment. Then, smiling gently, she shook her head and said, “Nothing, sweetie. I’m very proud of you.”

“Thanks, mom,” Alyssa said hesitantly. She knew her mother was sincere in her statement - her mother was always proud of her. But she couldn’t help but wonder what her mom was truly going to say. She didn’t get much time to dwell on it before her mother was changing the topic.

“So I do have a little bit of a surprise for you…” her mom lilted as she moved around the kitchen to begin dinner preparations.

“Oh, mom, you didn’t have to do anything special. Besides, it isn’t even Christmas yet,” Alyssa lied, trying not to seem too eager for whatever her mother got her. 

“I know, but I just got so excited about you being here for Christmas and I just couldn’t resist!”

“Well, if you insist… What is it?” Alyssa asked, eyes wide.

Mrs. Greene paused for a moment before throwing up her hands and saying, “I signed you up to help out with the Christmas pageant!” 

Alyssa’s smile faltered. “I’m sorry, you what?”

“They needed some extra hands and since you’re going to be in town anyways, I thought it might be fun! You know, the full Edgewater Christmas experience and all,” Veronica said, waving her hand in the air as she used Alyssa’s own words against her. When Alyssa’s frown dropped impossibly lower, she sighed before trying, “Oh come on, you used to love the Christmas pageant! Remember when you got to be the Angel? You were the cutest little angel this town ever saw!”

“Yeah, I remember that I only got to be the angel because Emma Nolan decided she was too good for the pageant that year,” Alyssa grumbled, crossing her arms. 

“It’s funny you should mention Emma… She’s actually directing the pageant this year!”

“What? How? No. _Why_?”

“Well, they needed someone to do it this year and she was the town’s most qualified candidate.”

Alyssa felt heat flash through her cheeks and her voice grew as she said, “So first Edgewater just let whoever wanted to come to town and be in the pageant and now they’re just doing the same with the director position? Why am I not surprised?”

“Honey, Emma lives in Edgewater now.”

“Oh, of course she does,” Alyssa said aggrieved, rolling her eyes.

“She just so happens to be single too…” Veronica added with whimsy in her tone.

“Gee, I wonder why.”

Her mother set down the bowl she had been holding and put her hands on her hips. “Alright, missy, what’s with the attitude? This isn’t like you.”

Sighing, Alyssa apologized. “Sorry, mom. I just don’t have very fond memories of Emma. She was so annoying when we were kids and she never left me alone.”

“Huh,” was all her mother said in response, picking the bowl back up and continuing her task.

Alyssa frowned at her mother. “Now what?”

“I didn’t say anything,” she replied with a suspicious innocence. 

“Well, you didn’t say anything very loudly. Go on, get it out.”

“I just think it’s funny that that’s how you remember it,” Veronica stated cautiously.

“I _remember_ it that way, because that’s how it was.”

“Right, honey. Of course it was.”

“ _Mom._ ”

“Look, all I’ll say on the matter is you two were children at the time, Alyssa. It’s been ages since then and people grow up, they change. And the Emma Nolan I know is beautiful, kindhearted, hardworking… She’s a true family woman and I just think if you would get past whatever childhood grudge you’re clinging to-”

“Mother, please, can you just drop it? For now?” Alyssa asked wearily, running her hand over her forehead.

Veronica sighed, smiling tenderly at Alyssa. “Okay, sweetie. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you,” Alyssa replied. “Besides, I… might’ve already met someone.”

Veronica’s eyebrows shot up as she set aside the bowl again and leaned on the counter. “Oh? Do tell!”

“Well, there isn’t too much to tell. It was quick and I didn’t catch her name but it was… Is it cheesy to say magical?”

“Yes,” her mother stated simply. “But there is nothing wrong with that! Tell me more about her. I can probably figure out who it was.”

“There’s not much more to tell. Anyway, it’s not like anything could really come of it. I’ll be leaving in a few weeks.”

Mrs. Greene hummed in response. “Well, will you at least tell me what she looked like? So I can at least start picturing the grandchildren I’ll probably never see at this rate?”

_”Mother.”_

//

“Well, Emma, how are you feeling?” Barry asked, resting a hand on her shoulder.

“Fine. How are you?” Emma asked back, acting as casual as she could manage.

Barry chuckled. “ _Fine_ , but it’s not my first day as pageant director.”

“Oh, is that today?” Emma glanced sideways at Barry and just when he looked as if he might lose it, she flashed him a smirk. “Okay, maybe I’m a little nervous. This is a huge opportunity and the pageant means a lot to me. I just don’t want to let anyone down.”

“Hey, they hired you for the job for a reason, kid. You are clever and brilliant and your gonna make this the best Christmas pageant this town as seen since you last played the angel.”

Emma blushed, looking down at her feet and mumbling, “Thanks, Barry.”

“Of course, kid. Also,” he said, crossing his arms and smiling proudly. “I’m gonna be with ya every step of the way. Because that’s just the kind of selfless friend I am.”

Emma pushed her lips together tightly and raised her eyebrows at him. “Oh yeah? Because you’re a selfless friend? And here I thought it was because you lost the role of Santa to Trent this year and you are hiding from him because he keeps trying to get you to be his elf.”

“It’s truly insulting. We all know he only got it because he went to _Juliard_.” Barry said, pulling a face. Then resting his hands on his stomach he said, “Besides, I have the perfect belly for it.”

Emma laughed, reaching out and poking his tummy. “Eh, could be more like a bowl full of jelly. I can see why they went with someone else.”

“Excuse you, sounds more like you’re just _jelly_.”

Puffing her stomach out and rubbing her hands over it, she scoffed. “Please, I’ve got a great belly.”

“Hey!”

Emma’s hands froze in their place as she followed the call across the room, finding none other than Alyssa Greene heading her way. She looked just as gorgeous as she did yesterday. 

Emma’s hands flew off her tummy, using one to not-so-subtly push Barry away and the other to smooth over her hair once. Barry huffed before walking away, and Emma knew she would have a lot of apologizing to do later.

Waving a tad too enthusiastically, Emma replied, “Hi.”

“There’s my knight in shining armor.”

“Oh, I’d hardly say call myself that. I, uh, actually wanted to apologize, but I didn’t really get the chance yesterday.”

Alyssa furrowed her brows. “Apologize?”

“Yeah, I mean, it was partly my fault you tripped. I was stringing the lights and it had gotten stuck on something so I pulled and… Well, you know how the rest went. I’m so sorry, I should’ve been more aware of my surroundings.”

“I appreciate your candor and the apology,” Alyssa said with sincerity etched in her features before a small smirk slipped onto her lips. Taking a step closer to Emma, she brushed her fingers down the length of Emma’s arm, letting her fingertips linger on Emma’s hand before dropping her own back by her side. Meanwhile, her eyes followed the movement as she said, “But I could never be mad about something that landed me in the arms of a beautiful woman.”

Electricity was jolting throughout Emma’s arm and her heart was beating out of her chest. A million thoughts ran through her mind as she stood there, stunned into silence by Alyssa’s forwardness. Alyssa had just called her beautiful, right? Alyssa had just flirted with her, _right_? 

Right. And now all Emma could do was stare back like a deer in the headlights.

It’s not like Emma hadn’t imagined this scenario before. It’s just that the last time it played out in her head she was twelve and it was more along the lines of “Hey, I got us one Capri Sun, two straws.” But this? This was much more real and exciting and Emma felt lightheaded. 

Before Emma’s brain could catch up and formulate a response, Alyssa’s smile softened and she held out her hand between them. “You know, I never did get your name. I’m Alyssa.”

Emma felt her insides crumble. _Alyssa didn’t recognize her._

But before Emma could say anything, Mrs. Greene was approaching them, clapping her hands together once and saying, “Oh I’m so glad to see you two getting along. I was worried for a moment that rehearsals might be uncomfortable, but this is lovely news!”

Alyssa’s brows furrowed as she looked at her mother, then to Emma, then back to her mother. “I’m sorry, do you two know each other already?”

“Alyssa, I-” Emma started.

“Alyssa, honey, I explained to you yesterday that Emma and I-”

Alyssa held her hand up to her mother, and faced Emma once more. “Emma? _Emma Nolan?_ ”

Emma smiled sheepishly, hunching up her shoulders. “The one and only?”

Veronica hummed. “Maybe I should give you two some more time to… catch up.”

As Mrs Greene walked away, Alyssa kept a tired glare on Emma. “You have to be kidding me. After all these years, everything is still just a joke to you, isn’t it?”

“No, Alyssa, it’s not. I honestly thought you knew who I was.”

Alyssa rolled her eyes. “Because who could possibly forget the great Emma Nolan, right?”

“I mean, you said it...” 

And just like that, the two slipped back into their old back and forth.

“Oh you really haven’t changed, have you?”

“Says the one still holding onto a childhood grudge.”

“It’s hardly a grudge. I just have a lot of strong and persistent negative feelings about you based on our history together.”

“Oh, so a grudge?”

“You’re impossible.”

“And beautiful.”

Alyssa scoffed. “What?”

“Your words not mine,” Emma said, holding her hands up.

Alyssa shook her head looking flustered. “No , I…. You… I didn’t know...Ugh.” 

Looking defeated, Alyssa turned on her heel and stormed away.

“See you tomorrow, Lys!” Emma called after Alyssa as she watched her, a small smile playing at her lips. After all these years, Alyssa still made her feel entirely electric.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Comments and kudos fuel me with life, so an extra thanks to those who take the time!


	3. Chapter 3

“She’s just so infuriating!” Emma said, pacing the living room while her gran sat in her chair knitting.

“Who, dear?” Besty asked, tone a little bored and attention locked on her task.

“Alyssa, Gran,” Emma said. “Have you been listening at all?”

“Yes, of course. I’m just surprised you’re still talking about this girl you supposedly don’t care about. That’s all,” Besty replied. Her eyebrows were high on her face and she looked like she was fighting a smile but she kept her focus on her knitting.

“I _don’t_ care about her. But since she’s helping out with the pageant, I’m stuck seeing her everyday and she’s just… she’s just so maddening!”

“Sounds like it.”

“And difficult.”

“Oh yes, certainly difficult.”

Emma nodded seriously before adding, “And incorrigible.” 

“Very,” Besty agreed, tilting her head to the side. “Don’t forget stubborn.”

“The most stubborn!”

“And pretty.”

“Yeah!” Emma said, her annoyance still driving her tone, before she stopped in place. “Wait, no-”

“Anyway, if you’re done _not_ obsessing over Alyssa Greene,” Betsy said, setting her knitting supplies aside and standing up from her chair. “I made Veronica some cinnamon rolls. Would you be a dear and take them over to her place for me please?”

Emma’s eyes narrowed on her grandma. “You want me to go over to the Greene’s, as in Alyssa’s house, after listening to me rant about her for a completely normal amount of time?”

“That’s right,” Betsy said, patting Emma’s cheek as she passed her. “Thank you, honey.”

But Emma stayed planted where she stood. “I’m sorry, gran, why exactly can’t you take them over?”

“Emma, please don’t question your grandmother. I’m old and fragile and need my rest.”

“You chased down a boy last week for stepping on your flowers.”

“Yes, well, someone had to teach that young man some manners,” Besty said sternly, her brows pulled tight together. “Anyway, it really wore me out and I need my rest now. Get along, dear. I’ll see you later for dinner.”

Betsy put the basket in Emma’s hands and practically shoved her out the door. Emma stumbled forward. Before making her way to the Greene residence, Emma glanced back once more to find her gran standing in the window watching her, phone clutched tightly to her ear.

//

“The worst part is, it’s all just a game to her,” Alyssa said, pacing the kitchen while her mother sat at the island reading a cookbook. “One big joke for her to sit back and laugh at.”

“Mhm,” her mother hummed, leisurely flipping through recipes.

“Some of us take things seriously and work really hard to get where we are.”

“You make a point, sweetie,” Veronica said dully.

Alyssa continued her path back and forth, waving her hands around as she spoke. “Not all of us can just coast through life, having things handed to us and poking fun as those who are left behind.”

“Yes, you’re-,” Mrs. Greene stopped, as if Alyssa’s words finally registered. Setting the book down, she said, “Now wait a minute, honey, that’s not fair. Emma Nolan is a very hard worker. In fact, one of the things I admire about her so much is her ability to work hard while still enjoying life. She not only has turned around Edgewater’s music program in the elementary school, but she’s also done a lot of good for the town too.”

“Oh,” Alyssa said quietly, pausing for a moment. “Well, that still doesn’t change the way she persistently presses my buttons.”

Veronica sighed. “No, I suppose it doesn’t. All I’m saying is, I think you should go easier on her. Nobody can change if you don’t at least give them the opportunity. Plus, it would be nice to get through one rehearsal without all that... tension. I mean honestly, Alyssa, in front of the children?”

Alyssa choked, but before she could respond, the sound of a bird call echoed through the room. Mrs. Greene swiftly picked up her phone. “Mother, what in the world is that ringtone?”

Standing up suddenly, Veronica grabbed her purse and kissed Alyssa on the cheek. “An emergency has come up at the school. Um, important pageant business. I have to go.”

Alyssa’s brows knitted together. “Okay, well if it’s urgent, why don’t I come with? I can help or-”

“No,” her mother said far too quickly. “Thank you, sweetie, but that’s okay. You just stay here, alright? I’ll be back before you know it!”

Before Alyssa could ask anymore questions, her mother was out the door and she was left standing lost in their own kitchen. Shaking her head, Alyssa took the seat where her mother had been and started flipping through the cookbook idly. Her mother’s words about Emma kept drifting through her head and she did her best to push them aside. 

No more than ten minutes later, a knock came from the door. Grateful for a distraction, Alyssa hopped off the stool and answered it. 

“Of course,” Alyssa muttered to herself, frowning when she opened the door to find the one person she was hoping to avoid on her day off from rehearsal. “What are you doing here, Emma?”

“I sensed you were missing me and came as fast as I could,” she said dramatically.

“Well, you sensed wrong. Shouldn’t you be at the school anyway?”

“You’re not the only one who gets Sundays off, Alyssa.”

“I know that, Emma,” Alyssa replied, her annoyance slipping through in her tone. “I just figured you’d be off busy with whatever emergency came up with the pageant.”

“Emergency?” Emma repeated, looking just as confused as Alyssa felt just moments ago.

“Yes, Emma, you see an emergency is when-” Alyssa cut herself off as her mother’s words echoed through her head. Taking a deep breath, she tried again. “Yeah, my mother got a phone call and ran out of here saying there was an emergency with the pageant. I just figured you’d know something as the director and all.”

“Huh, that is weird,” Emma said pulling out her phone. “I got nothing.”

“Well, I guess that’s probably good then. Must not have been a huge issue?”

“Yeah, I guess so. Still odd...”

“For sure,” Alyssa agreed before an awkward silence started to take over. Clearing her throat, she spoke again. “So, uh, I guess if you were here to see my mom, you’ll have to come back another time.”

“Oh I’m not really here to see her.”

“You’re not? Then…” Alyssa’s heart started to race.

Holding out the basket, Emma explained, “My gran asked me to bring these over for her.”

Alyssa took it from her, peeking inside. “Cinnamon rolls?”

“Yeah. Is there something wrong with them?”

“No, no. They look amazing, I’m just surprised. My mother hasn’t eaten sugar since the 90’s.”

Emma held her hands up, almost defensively. “Look, I’m just the delivery girl.”

“Right. Well, thank you. I’ll make sure she gets these.”

“Cool. I’ll let my gran know, then,” Emma said, tucking her hands into her pockets before turning around and walking away. 

Alyssa watched her, chewing her lip for a moment before calling out, “Emma?”

Stopping in her tracks and looking back, she said, “Yeah?”

“Could I, uh…” Alyssa started, nervously tucking her hair behind her ear. “If you’re headed that way, could I get a ride into town? Please?”

“Sure,” Emma says, hesitantly.

“Thank you. I have to fax something to my boss and I don’t know when my mother will be back.”

A smirk worked its way onto Emma’s lips, but she didn’t said anything.

Alyssa crossed her arms and tilted her head. “What?”

“Nothing, I just don’t think anyone’s faxed something since your mom last ate sugar.”

A smile betrayed Alyssa’s lips. “Very funny. Maybe I’ll just walk…”

“Okay.” Emma said simply, starting back towards her truck.

“Wait!” 

//

Finding a place to park, Emma turned off the engine of her truck and hopped out, making her way to the passenger door and opening it. She held out her hand while Alyssa eyed it suspiciously before grabbing it and hopping out. 

“Thanks for the ride, Emma.”

“It was not a problem, Alyssa. I was heading into town anyway.”

“Right, well, I still appreciate it.”

Emma simply nodded once in response. “Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at rehearsals.”

“Sure, see ya tomorrow,” Alyssa replied.

Then both women took a step, starting off in the same direction before stopping awkwardly. 

“The post office is...”

“Yeah, so is the grocery store...”

The two laughed nervously, Alyssa playing with her hair and Emma rubbing her neck.

“Well, if we’re going to be heading in the same direction…”

“We might as well walk together?” Alyssa finished timidly.

Emma nodded and then the two started off in silence. She glanced over at Alyssa every now and again, wanting to say something, anything. Even though it seemed impossible, this tension was almost worse than usual. She nearly found herself longing for the bickering. 

Every few steps Emma would open her mouth to start something, closing it again when she ultimately decided against it. Out of the corner of her eye, it seemed Alyssa was struggling with the same thing.

With a deep breath, Emma decided to take the first step. “So, what have you been up to, Alyssa?”

Alyssa eyed her cautiously. “What have I been up to?”

“Yeah,” Emma shrugged. “We haven’t seen each other in almost two decades. What are you doing these days?”

“I’m working at one of the top law firms in New York,” Alyssa said plainly.

“Oh wow. That’s very impressive! What kind of clients do you work with?”

“Uh,” Alyssa hesitated. “Mostly big corporations.”

“Huh,” was all Emma said.

“What?”

“Nothing. I’m just surprised, I guess,” Silence fell heavy over them for another moment. “So that’s what you do for work. What about for fun?” 

“Oh, you know, I like to return to town I grew up in after 16 years of being away only to get stuck working a pageant with my childhood tormentor,” Alyssa teased.

Emma laughed. “Wow, Greene, you ought to be careful. Edgewater is up to two police officers now. If you keep up those wild ways, one is bound to catch you.”

Smirking, Alyssa eyed Emma before asking, “What about you? How did you end up here?”

“Oh well… I got to move in with my grandparents when I was 16, so I’ve been here ever since. When I left for college I had no plans of coming back permanently, but then my grandpa passed and I moved back to be with Gran. And I’m glad I did. This town really is something special.”

Alyssa only nodded slowly before they found themselves in the same, thick silence as before.

Up ahead a few paces, Emma spotted Shelby, carrying her mail bag and concentrating hard on her clipboard. She sighed gratefully before shouting, “Shelby!”

Without looking up from her papers, Shelby held up a hand, shaking it and saying, “You’re going to have to wait for your mail to be delivered to your mailbox at its usual time.”

“I… No, Shelbs, I was just saying hello.”

Finally looking up, Shelby’s features relaxed. “Oh, hey Emma. I’m sorry, I thought you were another disgruntled customer.”

“It’s okay; don’t worry about it. I know how busy you get this time of year,” Emma assured her. “You know when you need it most, there’s a spa day waiting for you at the salon. My Christmas treat for ya.”

“I know, I know,” Shelby said, sighing and smiling softly. “You know, Nolan, I want so badly to hate people this time of year but you make it so hard sometimes.”

Emma laughed. “I’ll put less marshmallows in your hot cocoa the next time you stop by the house. How’s that?”

“Whoa, Em, don’t get too crazy now!” Shelby teased.

“Yeah, there’s two police officers now, remember? Gotta be careful,” Alyssa jumped in, raising an eyebrow at Emma, who eyed her curiously as a grin met her lips. Waving at Shelby, Alyssa said, “Good to see you again, Shelby. It’s been a while.”

“Holy shit. Alyssa Greene?”

“Unfortunately,” Emma said playfully. It slipped out in habit and she quickly met Alyssa’s eye, worried about setting them back again. But instead, Alyssa only squinted her eyes at Emma, a smirk still present on her lips.

Shelby looked between the both of them, a knowing look on her face. “It’s nice to see you two together again, but I really should get back to work. ‘Tis the season and all that bullshit.”

They said their goodbyes, watching as stress instantly washed back over Shelby as she left them.

“I didn’t know you two were friends,” Alyssa mused.

“We weren’t. I wasn’t really friends with anyone but…” Emma’s voice trailed off and she forced a smile, scratching the back of her neck. “Anyway, we’ve gotten to know each other well since I moved back.”

Alyssa hummed thoughtfully. “Well, it’s clear how much she admires you now.”

The two came to a stop on the corner of the street they’d been walking down, both seemingly tentative to move first.

“The post office is just that way,” Emma said, gesturing down the road.

“Right. Bye then, Emma,” Alyssa said, nodding slowly. Emma waved before starting to turn and walk the other direction to the grocery store when Alyssa reached out, resting her hand on Emma’s arm. Emma stopped, facing back to Alyssa, who looked timid as she said, “I just wanted to say thank you again. For bringing me into to town and… Look, I know I’m not your favorite person, so I really appreciate your kindness today.”

“You’re welcome, Alyssa. It really wasn’t a problem,” Emma said, smiling softly. “Besides, who said you aren’t my favorite person?”

Alyssa’s lips parted slightly and Emma could’ve sworn she heard a faint gasp. Alyssa’s hand was still on her arm and their eyes were locked. They stayed this way, her heart rate increasing with each passing second, until Alyssa’s gaze shifted past her. She watched Alyssa’s expression transition from soft to confused and as she turned around to see what Alyssa was looking at, she heard her say, “Mom?”

“Alyssa! What are you doing here? I asked you to stay- Oh, Emma, you’re here too. Lovely! How are you, dear?” Veronica said, reaching the girls and pulling Emma into a hug.

“Hello, Mrs. Greene,” Emma said, slightly strained from the tight embrace.

“Is everything okay?” Alyssa asked, looking at her mother suspiciously.

Pulling out of the hug, Veronica sighed before saying, “Yes, Alyssa, everything is fine. Just because you insist on being a stinker to Emma doesn’t mean I can’t hug her.”

“I was talking about the _emergency_ , mother,” Alyssa said looking partially stunned, partially lost.

“The…” Veronica eyebrows knitted as she thought. “Oh, right. The emergency. Everything was fine, just a little miscommunication!” Her eyes flickered to Emma before she added, “You know, I have a few things I need to pick up from the store so I will just leave you to it...”

“Emma’s going there as well,” Alyssa said, squinting at her mother. “Why don’t _you two_ head over together? I still need to fax those papers.”

Veronica frowned. “Okay, or we could go with you first and then-”

Alyssa kissed her mother on the cheek. “No need. I’ll see later, mom! Bye Emma.”

Looking between Alyssa walking away and her mother watching her do so with a disapproving look, Emma was unable to shake the feeling that she had missed something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for all the kind comments and kudos. I appreciate you all so much!


	4. Chapter 4

Alyssa sat on the edge of the stage, her legs dangling over the ledge. It was a break in the rehearsal and Emma was playing songs and singing with some of the younger kids. Alyssa couldn’t tear her eyes away. The children were usually very responsive and respectful of Emma during rehearsals, but this was truly something else. They seemed utterly entranced with her as they laughed and sang to whatever song Emma decided to play next and Alyssa couldn’t help the smile that crept upon her face.

“She’s pretty amazing, huh?”

Alyssa hummed before snapping out of her own trance, turning to find Kaylee Klein taking a seat next to her. Sitting up straight and letting her smile drop, Alyssa said, “It makes sense they like her. She behaves just like them.”

Kaylee smiled, giving her a look. “Alright, Lys, get it all out now. I’ve been enjoying the tension free rehearsals this week so if you need to make some comments here in order to keep it that way, by all means, go ahead.”

Alyssa sighed. Ever since that day in town, rehearsals had felt just a bit lighter. Alyssa and Emma had managed to stay mostly civil and in some cases even cordial. That day for example, Emma held the door open for Alyssa when they arrived to the gymnasium at the same time. Sure, that might not seem like a big deal, but compared to last week when Emma “accidentally” locked her in the storage closet or when Alyssa “mistakenly” knocked over Emma’s coffee, it was a fairly significant gesture. 

“I can’t explain it, Kay. I just can’t help myself. It’s like every time she’s near me I suddenly have no control over what my mouth is doing.”

“TMI, Lys,” Kaylee replied, eyebrows high as she bit back a smile.

“Shut up, you know what I meant,” Alyssa said, shoving Kaylee playfully. 

“I do,” Kaylee said, her smirk softer now. “I know exactly what it’s like to have a crush.”

Alyssa groaned, falling back onto the stage. “Why does everyone keep insinuating that I have a crush on Emma Nolan?”

“Well for starters, all the staring and pulling each others pigtails doesn’t help.”

“I don’t stare,” Alyssa objected weakly, trying not to think about what she was doing before this conversation started. “And she’s the one who pulls first.”

“Right… And what was it you were just saying about Emma behaving like a child?” Kaylee teased.

Alyssa stared at her for a moment before conceding. “That’s fair. But this is what I mean. This isn’t like me, Kay. I don’t get shaken up by people, but I see her and I just… I instantly go back to when we were kids and I don’t like that part of me.”

“Have you thought about why that is?”

Sitting back up, Alyssa scrunched her eyebrows together. “What do you mean?”

“It was a long time ago, Lys. Sometimes we don’t always remember things exactly as they were, you know? Maybe some reflection might help, is all I’m saying. Anyway, I gotta get back to my classroom. Just wanted to pop in and see how things were going,” Kaylee said, squeezing Alyssa’s thigh before hopping off the stage and heading out.

Alyssa watched her walk away before slumping back onto the stage floor, Kaylee’s advice heavy on her mind. She let her eyes close as her thoughts wandered back to her childhood. As hard as she tried, though, she could barely remember specifics, only how she felt. 

Letting out a defeated breath, Alyssa pulled herself back up and hopped off the stage. Finding her mother, she asked, “Is there anything else you need me to do today or can I head home?”

“Did you finish designing the programs?”

“Yes.”

“And all the props have been sorted and labeled?”

“Yes.”

Veronica hummed. “Okay, then can you make some more snowflakes for the set?”

“Mother,” Alyssa said, “I’ve had to have made about a thousand already. How many do we need?”

“I don’t know off the top of my head, honey, but I’m almost certain we need more,” Veronica said, giving her finger a shake.

Alyssa frowned slightly before heading to a table in the back of the gymnasium to make more snowflakes for the hundredth time. It felt almost as if everytime she found herself without something to do and hoping to leave, her mother would ask if she could make more. There had to be enough to fill the sky by now, but she had nothing better to do and at least it gave her more time around her mother, so she stayed and crafted more anyway. It was kind of nice actually. The task was simple and she’d done it enough times that it was easy to slip into autopilot. 

While her hands kept through the motions, Alyssa’s gaze wandered back to Emma. She was off to the side and knelt down talking to one of the children dressed as a sheep. The girl was young and probably the smallest in the production. Her head was down and she looked upset as Emma spoke and gently wiped away her tears. After a moment, the girl cracked a smile and looked up at Emma. Alyssa felt her heart swoop as the girl threw her arms around Emma. The two rejoined the rest of the group to run through a scene.

Alyssa wasn’t sure how much time had passed before she was startled by a scream. Looking around, she found the source of the noise to be coming from the choreographer. She was jumping up and down, yelling about a callback before running out the door.

“Alright, kids, we’re gonna take a quick five!” Emma called out, and although she didn’t show it much, Alyssa could tell she was anxious. Alyssa’s hands kept mindlessly with their task as she watched Emma rush over to her mother, who was busy talking with another parent and seemingly missed the display. “Mrs. Greene, a moment please?”

“Of course, Emma, anything for you!” Veronica practically sang and Alyssa had to hold back an eye roll. 

Stepping aside and closer to Alyssa, Emma explained, growing more and more frantic as she went on, “Natalie just walked out. She said she’s leaving for the city tonight and I don’t know what to do. I mean, I know I could just cut out the number, but-”

“Absolutely not,” Veronica said, grabbing Emma’s arms comfortingly. “I know how much that number means to you and, frankly, it’s too good to cut. We’ll figure something out, sweetie.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Greene,” Emma sighed, visibly relaxing. 

Veronica smiled, looking sympathetically at Emma before her eyes lit up. As her mother’s attention shifted her way, Alyssa dropped her head and pretended to be busy. “Alyssa!”

Groaning quietly, she put on a smile and said, “Yes, mom?”

“Oh, Alyssa, thank goodness you are here!” Veronica spoke dramatically. “The worst thing just happened. Our choreographer abandoned us and we need someone to take over.”

“Well, that certainly does sound like a predicament,” Alyssa mumbled, continuing with the snowflakes.

“It was… Until I came up with the most brilliant solution.”

“What’s that, mom?”

“You can take over!”

A boisterous laugh escaped Alyssa. “Good one, mom.”

Frowning, her mother said, “Alyssa, I’m serious.”

Alyssa’s smile dropped into a frown. “You can’t be. I have zero experience with choreographing something.”

“That’s not true. You used to choreograph routines for you ice skating competitions.”

Emma’s eyes grew and Alyssa pretended not to notice.“That was ages ago and there is a big difference between a solo ice skating routine and an ensemble pageant number.”

“Sweetie, I wouldn’t ask if we weren’t desperate.”

“What about Angie? Doesn’t she still run the dance studio? I’m sure she would do a much better job.”

“She’s very busy with their own holiday concert and being Mrs. Claus this year.”

“Alright, but what about Kaylee? Her experience as cheer captain makes her far more qualified.”

“Kaylee can’t either.”

“Why can’t-”

Her mother waved her hand, cutting her off. “You’re our only option, honey. Please?”

Alyssa looked between her mother and Emma before sighing. “If you’re sure there isn’t another option and Emma doesn’t mind having me around extra…”

“I don’t,” Emma said quickly.

Her mother squealed before hugging her tightly. “Thank you, sweetheart! Why don’t we all meet at the diner later and go over details? Does 7 work for you, Emma?”

“7 sounds great.”

//

Emma burst through the door of the diner out of breath. Scanning the room, she found Alyssa alone at a table by the window. As she slid into the booth across from Alyssa, she said in between breaths, “I’m so sorry I’m late.”

“Don’t worry about it. My mother is apparently running late as well which is… unheard of,” Alyssa said, more suspicious than concerned.

Emma’s eyes widened. “Wow. That is unusual. How long are we going to give her before we alert the local authorities?”

“She’s got five more minutes before I drag all two of them into this,” Alyssa bantered back.

Emma smiled and relaxed back in her spot. “I’m not gonna lie, it’s nice not being the last one to show up for a change.”

“You know there is a simple solution for that, right?” Alyssa asked, raising an eyebrow at Emma. 

“Tell one other person who is coming a later time to make sure they arrive after me?” Emma guessed.

Alyssa tilted her head to the side. “I was going to say be better but that could work too, I suppose.”

Emma thought for a moment. “Yeah, I like my plan better but thank you for that excellent advice. ‘Be better.’ You know, if the whole lawyer thing doesn’t work out, you could go into motivational speaking.”

Alyssa stared at her for a moment before picking up her phone. “I’m just gonna try my mother one more time.”

While Alyssa was on her cell, a waitress walked up to their table and asked if they were ready. Alyssa shook her head with a smile, but Emma asked, “Could I get a hot cocoa with lots of whipped cream, please?” Emma paused, looking at Alyssa for a moment before adding. “Make that two, actually.”

Alyssa shook her head and tried to object, but the server had already left to get the drinks. She looked at Emma, shaking her head and starting, “I didn’t want-” Suddenly, she sat up straight and her tone changed. “Hey mom, It’s me again. Starting to get a little worried about you. If you could please call me back and at least let me know you’re okay, I would appreciate that. Love you.”

Alyssa hit end on her phone but continued to stare at it for a moment longer before setting it down. Although she tried to hide it, Emma could tell her mind was wandering to worst case scenario. Reaching across the table, Emma rested her hand on Alyssa’s and assured her, “Everything is alright, Lys. She’s probably just driving and can’t reach her phone or something.”

Sighing, Alyssa’s shoulders relaxed and she gave Emma a small smile. “It’s just so unlike her, you know? Thank you though, Emma. That means a lot.”

Emma simply nodded in response as her thumb rubbed soothing circles over the back of Alyssa’s hand. 

“Two hot cocoas, extra whip,” the waitress said, setting down the drinks. 

Both Emma and Alyssa pulled their hands apart, stuttering out thank you’s to the server. Alyssa began pushing the drink towards the middle of the table but Emma stopped her. “That one’s for you. A small ‘thank you’ for helping out with the choreography.”

“Oh. Well, uh, thanks,” Alyssa said hesitantly, eyeing the drink for a moment before pulling it back towards her. “God, it’s been ages since I’ve had hot cocoa.”

“Be careful, it’s super hot,” Emma warned before realizing what she said. “Sorry, I’m so used to being around the children at this point I didn’t mean to-”

“Better safe than sorry, right?” Alyssa said with a small smile.

“Definitely,” Emma replied relieved. Then, with great sincerity she said, “Seriously, though. Thank you, Alyssa. It means a lot to me that this number gets to stay in the pageant.”

“It’s new this year,” Alyssa said, more question than statement.

“Yeah,” she replied almost bashfully. “It’s something I wrote. I love the tradition of the pageant and I definitely didn’t want to take away from that, but I thought a little modern addition couldn’t hurt.”

Alyssa nodded thoughtfully. “It’s a great idea, Emma. I can’t wait to hear it.”

Emma chuckled nervously. “Don’t get too excited. It’s not much…”

“Whoa,” Alyssa said urgently and hushed as she leaned across the table. Emma immediately felt herself being pulled forward as well, hanging on Alyssa’s every word. “Careful, Em.” She paused, looking around. “If you say anything less than fabulous about Emma Nolan my mother will appear out of nowhere to correct you.” 

“I mean, if you really think that’ll work…” Emma smirked, sitting back up before nearly yelling, “Emma Nolan sucks.”

Alyssa’s held her breath for a moment before she burst into a fit of laughter, her eyes darting around subtly, and if Emma didn’t know any better, she’d think Alyssa truly was expecting her mom to bust through the wall like the Kool Aid man.

“Dang, it didn’t work,” Emma said with a small frown as Alyssa’s laughter continued to ring.

Just then, Alyssa’s phone went off as a text came in. Her face dropped as she picked up her phone. “Oh my god,” she muttered as she read the message. Emma’s curiosity was quelled when Alyssa held her phone out to Emma to read the message: _So sorry, sweetie, gonna be a bit longer. Is Emma there yet? Are you being nice to her?_

Emma shook her head in disbelief. “How did she know?”

“My mother is a wonderful but terrifying woman,” Alyssa said, eyes wide.

The two stared at each other while the moment sunk in. Gradually, smiles broke out across both their faces before they were both laughing in hysterics again. They must’ve looked insane to the other patrons but Emma didn’t care. Her body felt light and her heart felt happy as her and Alyssa shared the moment together. Eventually, they both calmed, Emma settling back with a satisfied smile and Alyssa sighing deeply as she regained some control.

“So I guess we still have some time to kill,” Emma thought out loud.

“Good thing we have some hot cocoa to keep us occupied,” Alyssa said before taking her first sip and nearly moaning. “I forgot how good this is.” Emma bit back a smile as she stared at Alyssa, now sporting a nice, white whipped cream mustache. Alyssa’s smile faltered and her brows scrunched down. “What? Is there…”

“Whipped cream all over your face? Definitely not,” Emma teased with a simper.

Alyssa frowned before her tongue swiped out, pulling Emma’s gaze like a magnet. She’d gotten nearly all of it, but there was a bit near the corner of her mouth that she kept missing. “Better?”

Not sure she could handle watching _that_ again, Emma bit her lip and reached across the table, wiping gently at the last bit of whipped cream still on Alyssa’s mouth. Emma could’ve sworn she felt a quick, sharp breath escape Alyssa lips at the contact. Perhaps she should’ve taken her chances with the tongue again. “Uh, yeah. Better.”

“Thanks,” Alyssa whispered, barely loud enough for Emma to hear.

“Yeah, no problem,” Emma murmured back.

A silence lingered along with their gaze before Alyssa cleared her throat. “So, what made you want to direct the pageant?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah,” Emma said with a small shake of her head. “I’ve always loved Christmas itself. I didn’t get to see my grandparents too much throughout the year, but I could always count on seeing them at Christmas. And the pageant always made it extra special. The look in their eyes whenever I was up on stage… It was the one time of year I didn’t feel like a total disappointment and actually got to be apart of something. Almost all of my favorite childhood memories tie back to the pageant.”

“Wow, Emma, I never realized how much the pageant meant to you.”

“That’s okay. We really didn’t get much time together and I know you had your own things going on.”

“Yeah, still…” Alyssa’s voice drifted off in a way that made her feel so distant from Emma. “Wait, if you actually loved it, why weren’t you there our last year?”

“Emma took a moment to sort her thoughts before saying, “My parents found a gift I had gotten for the first girl I had a crush on. They kind of… They didn’t handle it well. They put me on a strict lockdown. I wasn’t allowed to see my grandparents for a few Christmases - not until I finally told my parents I’m a lesbian. I was 16 and they kicked me out. My grandpa came to get me right away. He drove all night because he didn’t want me to have to spend one more second there.”

“Emma, I’m sorry. That’s so awful,” Alyssa said with a sympathetic look on her face as her body slumped back into the booth.

“In a way, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Once I got to Edgewater, I could finally be myself. Nobody here cared if I was gay or not. I guess about a year before I got here, a pretty brave 15 year old came out and broke the fall for me,” Emma said, smiling knowingly at Alyssa. 

Chuckling nervously, Alyssa said, “I’d hardly call it brave. Right after I came out, I left for boarding school. That was no coincidence.”

“Doesn’t make it any less brave, Lys.”

Alyssa tilted her head, smiling tenderly. “Coming from you, I might just believe that.”

Emma’s heart started to beat fast as Alyssa stared at her, looking impossibly soft.

Alyssa’s phone went off again, startling her slightly. She read it and hummed. “My mom said she can’t make it but that it shouldn’t stop us from ‘having a good time’.”

“We don’t have to. I can get the check and we can talk more about the dance number at rehearsal tomorrow.”

“Yeah, we could do that,” Alyssa said. “Or…”

“Or?”

Alyssa shrugged. “Or we could grab dinner since we’re both here anyway.”

Emma’s stomach swooped. “Yeah, we might as well. Since we’re both here anyway.”

“Right,” Alyssa said with a shy smile before something out the window caught her eye. Her brows knitted together and she squinted her eyes. Emma glanced in the same direction, but saw nothing. 

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, sorry, I thought I saw…” She shook her head before returning her attention back to Emma. “Nevermind, that wouldn’t make any sense. Where were we?”

Emma tilted her head thinking for a moment before she smirked at Alyssa. “I believe you were just about to tell me more about the competitive figure skating.”

Alyssa rolled her eyes. “I mostly did it for the outfit. I thought the skirts were so cute.”

Emma smiled and nodded, trying her best to appear totally okay while knowing she would spend the rest of dinner doing her best not to imagine Alyssa in figure skating apparel.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is a little different cause this scene ended up being much longer than planned.

Rehearsal seemed to fly by the next day and before Alyssa knew it, the children were being picked up. It felt a little odd for her because this was the first day she hadn’t snuck out early. She spent the entire rehearsal observing the children, taking notes on what they already knew, their strengths, and other little commentary she thought might come in handy. She was reviewing her notes when she noticed the gymnasium had fallen nearly silent, besides one blissfully uncontrolled laugh. 

Looking up from her notebook, Alyssa saw that the only people left were Emma, Barry, and the small girl who Emma was comforting the day before. Emma was chasing her around Barry, fingers wiggling and prepared for tickling. Every now and again Emma would catch her, lifting her up while she squealed with glee before setting her down and beginning the chase all over again. It was enough to make Alyssa’s heart swell in her chest.

Suddenly a woman pulled up. Alyssa wasn’t sure how to describe her appearance other than worn. Her hair was unbrushed, her clothes had seen their use, and she looked like she was irritated she had to be here at all. The little girl, however, was excited to see her, running over with open arms. The woman hardly acknowledged her, before throwing her in the back seat and speeding off. Barry seemed distressed and Emma rubbed comforting circles onto his back. Feeling as if she were intruding on a moment, Alyssa looked away, busying herself with her notes again.

“Alyssa, there you are.”

Looking up, Alyssa pulled her brows down and said, “I’m so sorry, miss, do I know you?”

“Very funny, dear.”

“You know, you do look familiar. Like someone I used to know… Someone who used to take appointments and punctuality very seriously.”

Mrs. Greene shook her head. “Don’t be dramatic now.”

Alyssa tilted her head and smiled. “I’m just glad to see you are alive and not tied up in a basement somewhere.”

“Har har,” her mother responded with a roll of her eyes. “How did everything go last night?”

Alyssa shrugged and her eyes looked away as she said, “It was nice. We got a good amount discussed and I felt much better about it all by the time we parted.”

“That’s great, honey!” Her mother hugged her excitedly. “It looked like you two had a nice time.”

“Yeah it was nice,” Alyssa admitted. “Wait, looked?”

“What’s that now?” Veronica asked, tilting her head with brows high.

“You said it _looked_ like a nice time.”

“No, I’m certain I said _sounded_ like a nice time.”

“You definitely said looked. Hold on a second… Mom, were you across the street last night? Did you _spy on us?_ ” 

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, dear,” her mother waved her off. “Anyway, I just came over to see if you were ready to head home.”

Knowing she wouldn’t get any farther with her mother on the subject, Alyssa frowned but let the topic change. “Actually, I was hoping I could stay a bit longer to work on the choreography?”

Her mother shook her head. “I’m sorry, sweetie, I wish we could but I have to get back to the office before the day is over.”

“Oh, that’s okay. I understand. Thanks anyway,” Alyssa said trying not to look too disappointed. 

“Unless…” her mother said before waving across the room. “Emma, yoohoo!”

Emma looked a little startled by the sudden interaction but headed their way nonetheless. “Hello, Mrs. Greene. How are you today? We missed you last night.”

“And I missed you, dear,” her mother said, beaming at Emma. “I’m doing just fine, thank you for asking by the way. I just wanted to see if there is any chance you were available to stay a little later tonight? Alyssa wanted some extra time to work and I can’t stay to lock up-”

“Mother, no-”

“Sure,” said Emma.

Alyssa blinked at her a few times. “That’s very kind of you, but you really don’t have to. I can find another time to come in.”

“I don’t mind, really. Besides, you’re doing me a favor, remember?” Emma said with great sincerity. 

Alyssa smiled shyly. “If you’re sure it won’t be a problem… Thank you, Emma.”

“Yes, thank you, Emma! Now if you’ll both excuse me, I really must get going.” Hugging them both, Veronica took off, leaving the two of them alone in the gymnasium. 

Suddenly feeling off balance, Alyssa shifted on her feet. “We don’t have to stay long. An hour should be plenty of time, unless you need to get going earlier.”

“Whatever you need, Alyssa,” Emma replied, smiling softly at her. Gesturing towards a table, she added, “I’ll just be grading homework if you need me.”

The next thing Alyssa knew, the hour long alarm she set after thanking Emma was already going off. “Damn,” she muttered to herself.

Emma seemed just as thrown off. “That was quick. Was that all the time you needed?”

“That felt like no time at all,” Alyssa said, still a bit in disbelief. 

“I meant what I said. We can stay longer if you’d like. I have more things I could work on too.”

Alyssa chewed the inside of her cheek. On one hand she would hate to keep Emma at the school, but on the other, it was really nice to be working in the same space as someone else rather than isolated and alone. “If you’re sure you don’t mind…”

“I don’t,” Emma assured her before settling back into her spot. 

With a sigh of relief, Alyssa looked back down at her notes. She’d done just about everything but actually test out the steps to feel how it flowed. Tapping her pencil nervously, she glanced at Emma and gauged how distracted she was with grading. Despite not being entirely satisfied with the outcome, Alyssa got up from her spot to attempt the dance. 

It felt a bit awkward at first, not just because she was dancing to no music in front of Emma Nolan but also because she hadn’t done anything like it in ages. She did her best not to look at Emma and her nerves eventually drained away. 

After a while, Alyssa began to feel a gentle gaze on her, but everytime she tried to catch Emma’s eye, the blonde would already have her face buried in more papers. She kept trying though and eventually caught her. 

Stopping suddenly, Alyssa crossed her arms and asked, “Why are you watching me?”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to…You’re just so...” Emma stuttered, shaking her head. Alyssa raised an eyebrow curiously at her flustered state. Then Emma seemingly pulled herself together before she grinned and teased, “I’m just relieved to finally see you dancing. I was beginning to worry you didn’t know how.”

Alyssa rolled her eyes. “I needed to finish collecting and organizing my notes.”

“I didn’t realize there was so much paperwork involved in choreography.”

“I spent all morning researching other pageants and their choreography, styles that might influence the right feel, tips on organizing a group dance,” Alyssa explained as she casually flipped through her notes. “Then I observed the children, looking for strengths and weaknesses and how we can work with both to make every kid comfortable. I also have a section in here where-” 

Emma laughed. “Goodness, Lys, we just needed one simple dance number, not an entire thesis on the thing.”

Alyssa shrugged, feeling bashful as she added, “I know how much this means to you and I guess I just want it to be perfect.”

Emma’s amused grin faltered. Her eyes seemed impossibly round and shined brighter as tears began to pool. 

Alyssa’s heart dropped as she worried she did something wrong. Taking a step forward, Alyssa rushed, “I’m sorry, Emma. I’ll keep it simple and try to get it done by tomorrow. I didn’t meant to upset you.”

Shaking her head vigorously, Emma said, “God, no. You didn’t upset me.”

Frowning, Alyssa ask, “Then what’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong,” Emma answered with a small smile. “I’m just not used to people putting in so much effort for me.”

“You give all your time to helping others. I’m half convinced that this town wouldn’t be running anymore if you hadn’t moved here.”

“People are definitely appreciative. It’s just not often reciprocated, which is okay. I don’t help out with the expectation of anything in return, but-”

“But you deserve it,” Alyssa said. When Emma tried to continue on with what Alyssa was sure would be an objection, she continued more emphatically. “You deserve the effort, Emma.”

Emma’s mouth closed and she stared at Alyssa a moment before nodding once and although she didn’t say anything, Alyssa knew what she meant and offered a smile in return.

The air became heavy and Alyssa worried what might happen if it didn’t lighten soon. “Well, if you have time to tease me about my process, do you have time to help me with something real quick?” 

Hopping up, Emma smiled and joined her on stage. “Anyway I can.”

“I’m glad to hear that. In my head, it all looks good and feels right but it’s impossible to tell when I’m dancing around by myself, unable to hear the music or see the moves. I was hoping I could show you a part and then you could do it back for me so I could see it.”

“Oh, no way,” Emma said, before turning to get off the stage. 

“Come on, Emma. Please?”

“No, Alyssa, I wasn’t kidding when I said I don’t dance.”

“Don’t and can’t are two different things.”

“You’re right,” Emma said. “I don’t and can’t and won’t dance.”

Alyssa sighed. “How can you expect the children to do it if you refuse?”

“Because they’ll have you to help them. Besides, why don’t you just record yourself doing it and then watch it back? I’m sure it’ll be far more helpful than watching me stumble around.”

“But not nearly as fun,” Alyssa mumbled. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea. Thank you.”

Emma looked relieved as she was officially off the hook. “Yeah, no problem. Now, if there is anything reasonable I can do to help, let me know.”

As Emma turned to leave again, Alyssa stopped her. “Well… It would help to hear the song. Do you have a recording of it I could play?”

“No, I’m sorry,” Emma said with a sympathetic frown. “I took it home to rework a section.”

“That’s okay. Thanks anyways.”

“Unless…” Alyssa watched curiously as Emma disappeared into the storage closet before returning with her guitar in hand. Holding it up, she said, “I could play it for you instead?”

Swallowing, Alyssa smiled and nodded. “Yeah, that would be great. Thanks.”

Alyssa set up her phone and once Emma gave her a thumbs up, she hit record and went to the center of the stage. Emma waited until she was situated to begin the intro. The steps were nothing wild and Alyssa went through them as Emma strummed the chords. It was light and upbeat and the perfect jingle to add into a children’s pageant and although she’d heard it before, Alyssa was just as impressed now as she was the first time.

Despite her best efforts, her gaze kept drifting to Emma playing the guitar. It was silly. This wasn’t the first time she had seen Emma with a guitar either. So why did it feel so different? She did her best not to get lost in it, but then the first verse was starting and Emma began singing and any balance Alyssa once had was gone. She stumbled over her own feet and fell onto her side. Her embarrassment kept her anchored down, eyes closed tightly.

“Alyssa, are you okay?” 

A hand brushed the hair out of her face. When she opened her eyes, Emma was knelt next to her, worry covering her features. She nodded and quickly sat up, putting her and Emma at the same height. 

Emma ran the back of her fingers over Alyssa’s cheek before gently settling them behind Alyssa’s neck and flickering her gaze between brown eyes and double checking that she was indeed fine. Their faces were close enough that Alyssa could feel quick breaths roll over her as she fell into hazel eyes. She wet her lips, marveling in the way Emma’s eyes were drawn to the movement, just as they were last night in the diner, the only difference being that tonight she wanted to do something about it. 

Alyssa leaned forward ever so slightly and held her breath, waiting for Emma’s move. After a moment, Emma drew closer as well, perhaps a result of the magnetism of the moment or maybe an intentional gesture. Alyssa hoped for a mix of the two. They continued to close the distance, inch by inch. Alyssa felt dizzy, possibly due to the fall or how late it was or because everything in her was suddenly yearning for this one thing. 

When Alyssa felt Emma’s nose graze her own, her eyes flew shut. The anticipation of the moment made her chest feel tight and it took everything in her not to surge forward and rush the moment. 

The room seemed to still. When Alyssa heard Emma let out a deep breath, she blinked her eyes open to find Emma with hers still closed, looking almost conflicted. Disappointment flooded Alyssa as Emma pulled back, opening her eyes and smiling tenderly at Alyssa. Scratching her fingers soothingly into Alyssa’s hair, Emma murmured, “It’s getting pretty late.”

Emma’s voice was low and vibrated through Alyssa. All she could do was nod in response. 

“Maybe we should call it a night? We both need our sleep if we’re going to attempt to teach this to the kids tomorrow,” Emma reasoned.

Alyssa nodded again, slower this time.

Tilting her head, Emma asked, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

_Answer her, Greene. You can do it; just say something._ “Yes,” she blurted out louder than intended. She stood up suddenly and grabbed her things before heading to the door. Turning around, she found Emma still knelt on the stage and looking just as dazed as she felt. “Thanks for staying late with me, Emma.”

Alyssa heard Emma start her response with a “anytime” but whatever she said after that was lost as the door closed behind Alyssa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Any kudos and comments are appreciated! Love your faces!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe the level of cheese y'all are lettin' me get away with. Sorry this took so long! I was working on something else that will be up on Christmas!

“Okay, Nolan, let me get this straight: a few weeks ago you and Greene couldn't look at each other without her storming off and now you’re telling me that last night you almost kissed but the only reason you didn’t was because you stopped it and then today she didn’t show up to rehearsal?” Shelby asked incredulously. She sat across from Emma in a booth at the diner wearing a hoodie and sunglasses. 

“Yes,” Emma replied. “Well, at least I think we were going to kiss. It all happened so fast. I could have misread the situation.”

“Unlikely. You’re not stupid, Emma. It’s one of the only reasons I can be your friend,” Shelby said. Thinking for a moment, she corrected herself. “Or at least I thought you weren’t stupid. Why did you stop it? Haven’t you wanted to kiss her since you were a kid?”

Heat rushed to Emma’s cheeks at the blatant call out. “That was just a silly childhood crush.”

“So you didn’t want to kiss her? Then or now?”

“I…” Emma’s voice trailed off. Of course she _wanted_ to kiss Alyssa. With a sigh, she explained, “It’s not that simple, Shelbs.”

“I’ve kissed my fair share of people, Em. It can be that simple.”

“Oh? So there’s nobody you want to kiss but haven’t?” Emma countered, trying to hide her relief at the opportunity for a subject change. 

Shelby sunk down into her seat. “Shut up. That’s not the same and you know it.”

“Childhood crush, both finally in the right place at the right time… Sounds pretty similar to me,” Emma said, leisurely leaning back in her booth.

Shelby tilted her head down until she was glaring at Emma over her sunglasses. “I’ll end you, Nolan. I won’t like it, but I’ll do it.”

“Oh please, then who would bring you hot cocoa and make sure your mail truck is running properly?”

“I’ll get a bike,” Shelby grumbled before sitting back up. “I’m not gonna let you change the subject though. Why did you stop it?”

Emma sighed. “It was late, Shelby. We were both tired and just got caught up in a moment.”

“So? You got to that point for a reason. It’s not like she was drunk or hypnotized,” Shelby reasoned. 

“No, but…” Emma rubbed the back of her neck. “What if the next day she regretted it? What if it made the rest of the holidays awkward?”

“More awkward than it’s already been?” Shelby asked, causing Emma to groan and slump into her spot. “Sorry. I do understand what you mean, but I don’t think that’s the case here. Even when you two were bickering, it was always obvious it ran deeper than annoyance. It may have been late and perhaps Alyssa was tired, but I think she wanted it too, Em.”

Emma wanted to believe Shelby. She wanted to believe that Alyssa felt what she did, but she couldn’t help the small voice inside her telling her she was only going to get hurt. “Then why didn’t she show up to rehearsal today? She’s probably uncomfortable now.” 

“Maybe,” Shelby said, her gaze wandering off. “Or maybe not. Let’s ask her.”

“What?” Emma said, following her attention to see Alyssa had just walked into the diner. Hurriedly, she whispered, “No, Shelby, please.”

Ducking her head down, Shelby yelled, low and in an odd voice, “Alyssa!”

Looking around puzzled, Alyssa spotted Emma. Unsure what to do, Emma gave a small wave and Alyssa hesitated before heading over. Her confusion grew as she stopped at the table, focus drawn to Shelby, sat with her hood pulled up and sunglasses still on. Cautiously, she said, “Hey Emma. Hey… Shelby? Is that you?”

“Shhh,” Shelby hushed her harshly. “Don’t say my name so loud.”

Possibly more lost than before, Alyssa asked, “Why?”

“She’s hiding from the townsfolk,” Emma said with a tone that seemed to indicate how ridiculous it was.

“Okay…” Alyssa drawled, still not quite following.

Shelby looked around until she seemed satisfied with the lack of attention on them. “They’re everywhere, Alyssa. They’re everywhere and they never stop.” She shooed Emma with her hand until she made room on her side of the booth. Then Shelby gestured for Alyssa to take a seat next to Emma. “They think I can just magically pull parcels out of my ass, but guess what?”

“You can’t?” Alyssa guessed, sliding in next to Emma, careful not to scoot too close.

“I can’t. But do they care? No, they don’t. It’s their world and I’m just delivering mail in it.”

Emma watched with amusement as Alyssa’s eyes grew and she slowly leaned back, further away from Shelby before asking, her face serious but tone playful, “Do you need a hug?”

“I need a drink. At least five of them. Everyday until the holidays are over.” 

“Now that I could help with,” Alyssa said with a grin.

“I’ll hold ya to it.” Shelby smiled back. “So how was rehearsal today, Alyssa?”

Emma nearly choked, kicking her foot aimlessly under the table and hoping she hit Shelby. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Alyssa shift uncomfortably, glancing her way for a moment before answering, “I, uh, couldn’t make it in today.”

“Oh no. Are you feeling okay?” Shelby asked so genuinely that Emma almost believed her.

“Yeah, I am. I just got a call from the firm and had to focus on real work today,” Alyssa turned awkwardly to Emma. “I promise I’ll get it done though.”

“I’m not worried about _that_ ,” Emma shrugged.

“What are you worried about?” Alyssa asked quietly.

“Welp,” Shelby said, standing up abruptly. “I just now remembered I have to be up early for work tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow is Sunday,” Alyssa pointed out.

Shelby desperately looked Emma’s way and she prayed the earth would open up and swallow her whole. Humming for a moment, Shelby said, “Right. I use Sundays to get ready for the week. Can’t be too prepared. That’s what we always say.”

“We?”

“Mail carriers,” Shelby said, cringing slightly at her own words. “I gotta go. It was nice seeing you both.”

Emma watched painfully as Shelby bounded out the door of the diner. She puffed out her cheeks before slowly deflating them. Alyssa still sat next to her in the booth, fidgeting with her own fingers. 

“So-”

“I-”

“What were-”

“Oh sorry-”

Both women fell silent, smiling uncomfortably and still avoiding eye contact.

“You can go first,” Alyssa said, looking at Emma.

Emma nodded before taking a deep breath. “Okay, I was… I just wanted to say I’m sorry about last night when we…”

Alyssa’s face dropped for a moment before collecting herself again. “Like you said, it was late. Don’t worry about it.”

“Right. I did say that,” Emma replied, chewing her lip. “What were you gonna say?”

“Oh, I was just gonna say…” Alyssa looked around as if she was searching for an answer. Suddenly, an eyebrow raised as she asked, “What’s the story with the little girl? The one who got picked up late yesterday? I see you two interacting a lot and I guess I’m just curious.”

“Grace?” Emma asked, surprised that’s what Alyssa seemed so nervous to bring up. “She’s Barry’s niece.”

“I didn’t realize he had family around. Was that his sister then?”

Emma shook her head quickly. “No, that’s Grace’s mom, Sadie. His brother, Ted, is her father. The two met years ago. It was just supposed to be a one night thing but then, well… Grace came along. It wasn’t what they’d planned, but Ted was so excited to be a dad and he loved Grace more than anything.”

“Loved?” Alyssa asked quietly with sad eyes.

Nodding slowly, Emma spun her coffee mug in her hands as she explained, “He died last year. Accident in the factory. It’s been hard for Barry and Grace especially. Sadie hasn’t been the best mom. Her priorities were always... elsewhere. Grace lived with Ted full-time and when he passed Barry was hoping to get custody, but Sadie fought him on it and, well, he couldn’t compete with her actual mother. He worries a lot, but there isn’t much he can do.”

“That’s terrible, Emma. I’m so sorry.” 

When Emma felt a gentle hand press comfortingly into her thigh, her entire body relaxed. Looking at Alyssa, she melted into warm brown eyes and continued. “Barry was able to convince Sadie to let Grace be in the pageant this year. Ted used to bring her to watch it every Christmas and this was the first year she was old enough to participate. It’s helped a bit, but some days she shows up in the same outfit from the day before, which is worrisome but better than when she goes a few days without showing up at all. Barry puts on a strong front for his niece, but I know it’s killing him inside. I just wish there was more I could do.”

“The poor girl.” Alyssa’s brows furrowed as she hummed thoughtfully. “I might be able to help.”

Emma blinked, not quite believing what Alyssa was saying. “Really?”

“I’ll need to talk to the social worker who was on her case, but yes. While I was still in school I observed cases like this all the time. I can’t promise anything, but I can try.”

A wave of emotions hit Emma square in the chest. Her hand rested on the one still lying on her thigh and she squeezed it tightly. “Thank you, Alyssa. That would be incredible.”

“Again, I don’t know if it’ll work, but-”

“I know,” Emma assured her. “It still means a lot, whatever the outcome.”

Nodding once, Alyssa smiled consolingly. They stayed like that, letting the moment wash over them until someone slid into the booth across from them. 

“Gran,” Emma said, a little stunned by how she managed to entirely miss her grandma approaching the table.

“Hello, dear,” Besty replied with a warm smile. Looking at Alyssa, her face brightened even more. “Alyssa Greene! What a pleasant surprise.”

Emma’s ears grew warm as Alyssa smiled shyly and said, “Mrs. Nolan, it’s so lovely to see you again.”

“Please, you can call me Gran.” Emma shot Besty a puzzled look, but if she noticed she gave it no attention. “How have you been? I hear you’re quite successful in New York these days.”

Alyssa laughed. “I see you and my mother stayed in contact.”

“Some. But Emma actually talks about you quite a bit at home.”

The blush on Emma’s face deepened as she quickly tried to defend herself. “I think I might have mentioned _something_ , but I would hardly say it counts as ‘quite a bit’...”

“What else has she said?” Alyssa inquired with an amused smile.

Betsy leaned forward, a small twinkle in her eye. “Well, she mentioned you were just as passionate and beaut-”

“Alright,” Emma desperately interjected. “I’m hungry. Who else is hungry? We should get some food ordered.”

Raising her eyebrows, Alyssa tried to hide her delight in the moment. Betsy, however, looked as if she was debating whether to let Emma off the hook or not. A certain expression flashed briefly over her features before she asked, “So Alyssa, what are your plans for your day off tomorrow?”

“Oh, I’ll probably use the day to catch up on work. I still haven’t quite finished the dance yet.”

“Honey, has anyone ever told you that you work too much?” 

Alyssa laughed nervously. “Are you sure you haven’t been talking to my mother?”

Scoffing a little too hard, Betsy turned to Emma this time. “Are you still sticking to your tradition tomorrow?” Emma nodded cautiously. “Lovely. Why don’t you take Alyssa? I don’t like the idea of you going alone anyway.”

“Gran, I’ve been doing it by myself ever since Grandpa passed,” Emma tried to reason.

“I know. Doesn’t mean I like it.”

“What tradition?” Alyssa jumped in curiously.

“Every year, Emma and her Grandpa would go out and get us a Christmas tree,” Betsy explained. “It started when she officially moved in with us and even once Sean left us, she’s continued on with it.”

Alyssa looked at Emma, smiling softly and tilting her head. “That’s a really beautiful tradition, Emma.”

“Yeah, it meant a lot to me,” Emma said quietly. “That first Christmas after I got… after I moved in with Gran and Pops was really hard. I was trying to be a holiday grump and avoid anything to do with it, but he wouldn’t have it. He knocked on my door one day with hot cocoa and matching Christmas sweaters and told me we were going on an adventure. We had so much fun and it was the first time I knew everything was going to be okay.”

“Sounds like Alyssa could use some fun,” Betsy said, clearly not ready to drop it.

“I wouldn’t want to intrude on tradition,” Alyssa quickly replied, looking to Emma with sincerity.

Emma nodded slowly as she thought for a moment before giving a small shrug. “I wouldn’t mind. If you wanted to.”

“If you don’t mind,” was all Alyssa said back. 

They stared at each other tentatively, as if both were waiting for the other to back away. 

“Well, I certainly don’t mind,” Betsy stated loudly, pulling both of their attention to her. “So it’s settled. Emma will pick you up tomorrow morning. Is 8 too early?”

“Yes,” Emma groaned.

Alyssa laughed. “That sounds perfect.”

“Great,” Betsy said, beaming at the two across from her. “You’ll be joining us for dinner as well, right?”

Alyssa thought for a moment before checking the time on her phone. Frowning, she said, “I wish I could, but I have an errand to run. Betsy, it was so wonderful to see you again. Emma, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Emma tried to sound cool as she said, “See you tomorrow, Alyssa.”

Watching Alyssa walk away first, Emma eventually looked back at her grandma who appeared far too proud of herself. Emma gave her a look but was unable to hide the smile that took over her face.

//

Alyssa woke up the next day before her alarm went off. Normally, she would try and go back to sleep but she was far too excited and jumped out of bed to get ready. 

Humming a tune she wasn’t even sure was a song, Alyssa missed her mother entering the kitchen.

“Good morning, sweetie,” Veronica sang as she shuffled to the coffee machine.

Spinning around, Alyssa smiled and handed her mother a cup with already brewed coffee. “Good morning, mom!”

“You’re up early,” she said, eyeing the cup suspiciously before taking it. “Big plans today?”

“No,” Alyssa said as casually as she could manage. “Kind of. I’m going with Emma to… Run an errand.”

Her mother’s face lit up. “Oh? That’s nice, honey.”

Alyssa stared at her mother, waiting for more - a teasing comment or not-so-subtle hint. But she remained silent. Hesitantly, Alyssa agreed. “Yeah, it is nice…”

Her mother didn’t say another word the rest of the morning, but every now and again Alyssa would catch a knowing look and a light hum lilting from her and Alyssa almost felt as if her mom was more excited than she was about her spending the day with Emma.

Exactly at 8, the doorbell rang. Alyssa stopped by a mirror in the hallway and checked herself before she opened the door. “Hey, Emma.”

“Hey,” she replied with a lopsided grin. “Nice Christmas sweater.”

Alyssa looked down at her incredibly tacky top before looking back at Emma and smiling. “I’m glad you think so, because…” Alyssa grabbed a bag she had set by the door last night and handed it to Emma, who eyed it for a moment before taking and opening it, pulling out an identical sweater. 

“I’m sorry, I meant to get hot cocoa too but I forgot to grab it at the store last night. I think I was too excited about picking out the sweaters, but if you want to stop on our way out and grab some, it’ll be my treat,” Alyssa rambled on while Emma stared at the sweater. The longer Emma went without saying anything, the more fear knotted tight in her chest. “God, did I overstep? I overstepped. I didn’t mean to cross any lines, you just mentioned it was something you and your grandpa would do and I thought maybe… God, Emma, I’m so sorry. I’ll go change or if you want to just cancel, I get that too-”

“Alyssa?” Emma cut in, finally looking up from the sweater. Her eyes were glistening and Alyssa’s stomach plummeted, only stopping when Emma asked, “Would it be alright if I hugged you?”

A lump in Alyssa’s throat prevented her from doing anything but nodding. Emma stepped forward and immediately wrapped her arms around Alyssa, who gasped from the overwhelming passion of the gesture. Alyssa slipped her hands under Emma’s arms and pressed them firmly against Emma’s back, holding her close. Emma nuzzled her face further into Alyssa’s hair and she prayed Emma couldn’t feel how intensely her heart was beating in the moment. 

Alyssa took a deep breath, hoping it might help calm her senses, but the comforting scent that was Emma Nolan flooded her system, bringing with it a flash of a memory. One from her childhood. It was brief. She was back in the angel costume, feeling anxious and alone when she snuggled into the costume, letting the familiar fragrance calm her. The recollection was there and gone, so quick Alyssa wasn’t sure if it had happened or if her imagination was escaping her. 

Then Emma was pulling away, wiping at her eyes and smiling appreciatively at Alyssa. “Please don’t change. I love the sweater. Thank you.”

Although Emma’s gesture had already confirmed Emma was not upset with her, the words of affirmation sent a second wave of relief through Alyssa. She smiled fondly as Emma slipped the sweater on and held out her hands as if to ask how it looked. 

“Perfect,” Alyssa said with a bit of wonderment. Emma looked absolutely adorable and Alyssa felt a rush knowing that they were matching. 

Alyssa followed Emma to the truck, stepping in as Emma held the door for her. Once Emma got around and situated inside as well, she grabbed a cup from the holder and offered it to Alyssa. Emma gave a crooked grin as she said, “Hot cocoa.”

Alyssa took it, returning the smile and thanking her.

The day seemed to fly by for Alyssa. They drove about an hour out of town before Emma pulled off the highway and led them even further down a road Alyssa would’ve missed on her own. They walked around, surveying the different trees, bantering about which one had the most potential until they got to one that they both just knew was it.

Emma handed Alyssa the axe, letting her take the first few swings at the tree and she was caught off guard by how good it felt whack away. However, her arms quickly grew tired and she passed it back to Emma. Emma finished the job effortlessly and Alyssa did her best to ignore the surge of feelings she got watching it all. 

The car ride back was filled with blasting Christmas music and singing along, gradually derailing into singing in accents and silly voices. They even made up their own lyrics for Twelve Days of Christmas. Towards the end of their drive, there was far more laughter and tears than there was singing and pitch. 

As the truck pulled onto Alyssa’s street and rolled to a stop in front of her house, she tried to cling to the constant buzz of joy she’d felt all day and not let the creeping disappointment that it was coming to an end take over.

“Thanks again for letting me join you today, Emma.”

“Thanks again for coming with, Lys,” Emma replied, smiling at her in a way that resonated throughout her body. “This day means a lot to me and there is nobody else I would have wanted to share it with. Thank you for making it all the more special.”

Emma’s words were genuine and deep and Alyssa’s stomach somersaulted. Reaching out and squeezing Emma’s hand, she said, “It means a lot that chose me to share it with. I had a lot of fun today, Emma.” Alyssa paused before adding, “With you.”

When Alyssa went to pull her hand back, Emma quickly turned over her own, letting their fingers entwine and holding on firmly. Alyssa held back just as tightly, her eyes drawn their hands as her heart rate picked up. “Alyssa…” Her eyes flickered up to find Emma gazing at her with such affection she thought she might well and truly melt. “I had a lot of fun with you today too.” 

Alyssa’s heart skipped a beat and she reflexively rubbed her thumb against the back of Emma’s hand, marveling at the way it drew Emma’s attention to their hands. Chewing on her lip for a moment, Alyssa quietly said, “I wouldn’t mind if it happened again.”

Emma’s face lit up with a smirk. “Yeah? Maybe next Sunday?”

“Next Sunday sounds…” _Far._ “Great. What should we do?” 

Emma shook her head lightly. “Don’t worry about that part. I’ll pick you up 6?”

“I’ll be ready,” Alyssa replied, trying to sound too eager.

“Perfect. Then it’s a date,” Emma said, beaming.

Alyssa reluctantly let go of Emma’s hand so she could get out of the truck and walk around to Alyssa’s side to open her door. Emma walked her to the door of her house, thanking her once more and saying goodbye. When Alyssa closed the door behind her, she slumped back against, dreamily echoing, “A date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to everyone who is still reading! All the kudos and comments keep me goin, so an extra thanks to those of you as well!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Belated Christmas!

“So what are you two going to do for your date?” Kaylee asked, resting her face in her hands, excitement floating in her tone.

“Not so loud,” Alyssa warned, looking around anxiously. “If my mother finds out about this, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

Kaylee gave her a look. “Hon, this is Edgewater. The second your date with Emma starts everyone will know… Assuming they don’t already.”

“I know,” Alyssa sighed. “I’m not actively keeping it from her. I’m just not offering up any info either. I’d like to try and avoid her asking about the wedding... or worse: babies.”

“Okay, that’s a fair point,” Kaylee said, laughing lightly. “However…”

“What?” Alyssa asked hesitantly. 

“It’s just…” Kaylee looked over at Emma for a moment before looking back at Alyssa. “The babies would be _so_ cute.”

Alyssa shot a glare Kaylee’s way before picking at her salad as her thoughts began to wander. It really was way too early for any talk like that. She knew this. But even though it would only be a first date, she couldn’t ignore how different it felt from any other she’d agreed to - and she’d agreed to many. Most of which she ultimately ended up bailing on, usually due to work related reasons. Eventually, she stopped accepting the offers. After a while it all just felt pointless. But this time, even though it was still days before their plans, Alyssa already knew it would be one of the most important days of her life.

“Anyway,” Alyssa started. “I don’t actually know what we’re going to do. Emma was very insistent on it being a surprise.”

“Oh my gosh, that’s so sweet!”

“Yeah, I’m kind of really excited,” Alyssa admitted, trying to contain a smile that might give her away further.

“I bet. I’d kill for someone to sweep me off my feet like that,” Kaylee mused wistfully before adding, “Or to sweep someone off their feet. I’ll take either at this point.”

Before Alyssa could respond, someone called out Kaylee’s name. Both women turned to find Shelby walking their way, waving mail in the air. Alyssa’s eyes widened as she watched her friends demeanor shift, straightening her posture, smoothing her hair, brightening her features. Amusement covered Alyssa’s face as she watched the two.

“Hi Shelby,” Kaylee called back, wiggling her fingers in a charming wave.

“I have your mail,” Shelby explained, holding out a few envelopes. Alyssa had never seen Shelby appear bashful before. In fact, she didn’t even know it was possible.

Grabbing the envelopes and smiling softly, Kaylee said, “Thank you. That’s very sweet of you.”

“Just doing my job,” Shelby replied with a shrug and a shy smile.

“Oh?” Emma jumped in, almost appearing out of nowhere. “I didn’t know you were making personal deliveries now. That;s great. I’ve been waiting for a letter.”

“Yeah, this is wonderful. I’m expecting something from the firm so-” Alyssa began until Shelby cut her off.

“You can both wait until your mail is delivered to the appropriate mailbox at its normal time,” she said, shooting them both a look.

“Huh,” Emma said, pulling her eyebrows together and holding back a smile. “Tell me, Kaylee, how does one get on the VIP list for mail delivery?”

Kaylee giggled, but before she could answer Shelby retorted back, “Actually, Nolan, I think I do have something in here for you.” Shelby turned so her back was to Kaylee and began rummaging in her bag. After a moment of pretending to dig around, Shelby pulled her hand out to reveal her middle finger, flashing it to Emma and pairing it with a look that clearly said, “Say one more thing and you’ll regret it.”

Emma laughed. “On second thought, I can wait.”

“That’s what I thought,” Shelby said with a tight smile before her features relaxed and she turned back to Kaylee. “I should get back to work. I’ll see you around, Kaylee?”

Looking at her watch, Kaylee said, “Actually, I should get going too. Mind if I walk out with you?”

Shelby quickly shook her head. “Not at all.”

Alyssa watched the two walk away, Kaylee already laughing at something Shelby said and Shelby beaming brightly, as if making Kaylee laugh was greatest accomplishment in the world. Alyssa’s heart melted at the sight. 

Finally tearing her gaze away from her friends, Alyssa finds Emma staring sweetly at her. Her chest tightens and her cheeks feel warm and all she can say is, “Hi.”

“Hi,” Emma echoes back, her smiling spreading as she looks at Alyssa as if she’s never seen anything more beautiful in her life. 

Alyssa’s brain felt jumbled and her heart raced as Emma stepped closer to her and all she could do is repeat, “Hi.

Emma chuckled, sitting down next to Alyssa and tucking a rogue brown curl behind her ear before breathing another, “Hi.”

Alyssa entire body tingled. Suddenly, she was overwhelmed with the sudden realization that she wouldn’t mind staying here forever, under Emma’s affectionate gaze, feeling like the most important person in the world. Her brows lifted slightly as she opened her mouth before closing it again, remembering she’d said the only thing her brain could muster in the moment. Instead, she scooched her hand across the table, close enough that she could reach her pinky out to gently stroke Emma’s.

Emma’s face lit up and Alyssa felt her hand relax under her touch. In a quiet but sincere tone, Emma said, “The number is looking great. Not that I’m surprised. Everything you do is amazing.”

Alyssa’s stomach flipped again as her eyes flickered to their hands when Emma’s pinky began moving with hers. She let her eyes graze up Emma before she said, her voice low, “It’s not the only thing that’s looking good.”

“Alyssa Greene,” Emma breathed, her pinky freezing for a moment. Emma’s eyes flickered down to Alyssa’s lips and she wasn’t sure either of them was breathing anymore. Then, with a small noise that sounded like a mix between a groan and a whimper, Emma mumbled, “Is it Sunday yet?”

Alyssa sighed. “I wish. Do I get to know what we’re doing yet?”

“Nope,” Emma said, popping the last syllable. Her smile was almost mischievous and it sent a thrill through Alyssa. “Just be sure to dress warm. We’ll be outside for phase two.”

Alyssa’s eyebrows raised. “Phase two?”

“I’ve said too much,” Emma said shaking her head and pressing her lips together tight.

Squinting her eyes at Emma for a moment, Alyssa’s features relaxed. “Okay, I won’t press you on it.”

“It’ll be fun. I promise.”

“I have no doubts about that,” Alyssa said with a small smile. “Oh, I did want to ask though: Is it okay if I miss rehearsal on Saturday? I spoke to Dee Dee Allen, Grace’s social worker, and she wants to meet up so we can discuss the case.”

Surprise covered Emma’s face. “You already contacted Dee Dee?”

“Yeah, I called her as soon as her office opened on Monday,” Alyssa explained. “I hope that’s okay. I know we only talked about it briefly but-”

Emma threw her arms around Alyssa, pulling her in tight and Alyssa instantly sunk into the embrace. Pulling away, Emma said, “Of course that’s okay. It’s more than okay. Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting it, is all. Have I told you today that you’re amazing? Because you are amazing, Alyssa.”

Alyssa ducked her head, tucking her hair behind her ear and hoping her blush wasn’t too obvious. Looking back at Emma, she shook her head lightly. “It’s not a big deal, really. If I’m being honest, I’m just excited to help with something that actually matters, you know? My firm is impressive, sure, but I miss doing work that’s important, that creates change for the better.”

Emma chewed the inside of her cheeks and Alyssa could tell she was considering saying something, but before Alyssa could ask exactly what, her phone was ringing.

Checking the caller ID, Alyssa sighed. “Speak of the devil - it’s my boss. I should… probably answer it.”

Emma smiled, nodding understandingly as Alyssa picked up her phone. She gave a small wave before she gave Alyssa space to take the call. Letting out a heavy breath, Alyssa answered as she watched Emma walk away, her heart already quietly aching.

//

It was the day before their big date and a small part of Emma was grateful Alyssa wasn’t at rehearsal. She was having a hard enough time focusing and couldn’t imagine how much worse it would be when her big brown eyes and perfect dimple around to get lost in. Still, the day went agonizingly slow, just as she suspected time would go until it was 6pm the next day.

Rehearsal was officially over though as Emma waited with Barry and Grace for the girls mom to pick her up. She was far later than normal and Emma could tell Barry was pretending it wasn’t bothering him. In an attempt to help, Emma started up a game of hide and seek with the girl which quickly devolved into the two running around and chasing the other, both giggling messes. 

After nearly an hour and several phone calls later, Barry was ready to just take Grace with him when Sadie finally arrived. She didn’t quite seem okay, but the man driving seemed all there and Barry decided not to start a fight. Emma suspected Alyssa’s appointment that day might also have been holding him back from pushing further. 

As they watched the car leave, Barry sighed with what felt like the weight of the world. “I hope Alyssa is able to help. I’m not sure how much more I can stand aside.”

“I believe in her,” Emma said, resting a hand on Barry’s shoulder.

He studied her for a moment. “You really do, huh?”

Emma nodded confidently. “The only thing more impressive than her brain is her heart. I think between that and how committed Dee Dee has always been to Grace’s situation, they’ll find a way.”

“Thanks, kid,” Barry said, smiling weakly and reaching his hand up to rest on top of Emma’s, holding it there for a moment. 

Emma sat with Barry for as long as he needed, offering both comforting words and soothing silence. It was well past sunset before he finally left and Emma opted to stay behind, offering a vague excuse of needing to finish something up. 

Once Emma was certain Barry was gone, she locked the door and picked up her phone and scrolled through before finding an audio to start.

_”Hello and welcome to this week's episode of How To for Dummies. Today we will be walking you through a basic slow dance technique…”_

Emma sighed as the words filled the gymnasium. She knew it was insane but she was desperate. Especially after everything Alyssa had been doing for her lately, Emma needed tomorrow to go absolutely perfect. So there she was, the night before the big date, practicing how to dance for the sixth night in a row. For something that was supposed to be for dummies, Emma still found it quite hard. No matter how many hours she put in, she couldn’t get the awkwardness to leave her movement. She only prayed that instinct would take over tomorrow when she actually had Alyssa in her arms.

Emma wasn’t sure how long she had been there when she heard a swift jiggle at the door before it flew open. Fumbling with her phone, Emma turned it off as fast as she could before straightening up and turning towards the door. To her surprise, Veronica Greene entered through, freezing and appearing almost as surprised as Emma felt.

“Emma! Well this is certainly a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect anyone to be here,” Mrs. Greene said as she walked into the gymnasium. 

“Oh yeah I was just um…” Emma stuttered, failing to come up with a sensible excuse.

“Working on things for the pageant?” Veronica guessed, looking slightly confused at Emma’s state.

“Yeah,” Emma mumbled, bobbing her head slowly. “That would make sense…”

“Right…” Veronica stopped walking to study Emma. “I just came to grab some papers I left behind. Did you need help with anything?”

“No,” Emma hurried out. “Thank you though.”

“Okay,” Veronica said, still sounding suspicious but not pressing Emma on it. Holding up the documents she came to retrieve, she said, “I’ll leave you to it then.”

“Actually,” Emma said suddenly, freezing Mrs. Greene in her tracks. Veronica watched her curiously before she finished her thought. “There was something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Anything, dear,” Veronica assured her sweetly.

“It’s about Alyssa,” Emma began nervously, scratching at the back of her neck.

Veronica frowned. “Is she being impolite again? I thought things were finally getting better between you two.”

“Things have,” Emma reassured her. “Things have actually gotten much better.”

“Oh that’s wonderful, “ Mrs. Greene said, smiling again. “What is it then?”

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry I didn’t come to you first about asking Alyssa out on a date,” Emma said, her tone as sincere as her features. When Veronica stared back in silence, Emma’s nerves began to multiply. “I hope you know I meant no disrespect. I value you and your blessing just as much as Alyssa’s. It just all happened so fast and I let myself get caught up in my feelings. And if it’s going to be a problem, well… Honestly, I won’t cancel, but I will spend every second of my spare time proving to you that I only have the best intentions. I think the world of her and from the day we met, even though we were only children, I’ve only ever wanted the best for her.” Emma held her breath, desperate for Veronica to say _anything_. 

Veronica blinked a few times before stating plainly, “You and Alyssa are going on a date.”

It wasn’t necessarily what Emma was expecting, but she knew it could be much worse. Cautiously, she said, “Yes.”

“You are taking my daughter out for the night.”

“More evening than night. Not too late - I promise.”

“You asked my daughter on a date and she said yes,” Veronica said, a dazed look in her eyes.

“Did you not…” Emma’s brows furrowed as she tried to follow what was happening. Suddenly, her eyes grew wide. “Oh god, you didn’t know. I’m so sorry. I just assumed Alyssa told you. You two are so close and… I mean I’m sure she had a good reason. Oh god, I’m sure she had a _reason_.” 

Emma’s mind was going 100mph as she processed what all was happening. Alyssa clearly made a choice not to tell her mother and Emma just ruined it for her. She did her best not to think too much about why Alyssa might not tell her mother. No, Emma certainly didn’t let her thoughts wander to how Alyssa was probably embarrassed and not wanting to tell anybody about their date.

Veronica must’ve picked up on Emma’s new state of panic because her demeanor soon shifted and suddenly she was next to Emma, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and offering words of comfort. “Don’t you dare apologize or feel bad about anything. I appreciate you thinking about me, but all I ever want as a mother is for my daughter to be happy and I can’t remember the last time I saw her smiling like she has been lately. So as long as you promise to keep that up, you’ll always have my blessing.”

Letting out a deep breath, Emma began to relax.

“And as for her not telling me well… I may have given her a reason or two not to, so don’t go forming your own assumptions about that, okay? I’ll wait for her to tell me on her own time. You are a wonderful young woman, Emma, and I couldn’t be happier about whatever role you end up playing in Alyssa’s life.”

Nodding, Emma said gratefully, “Thank you, Mrs. Greene. That means a lot.”

“Of course, dear,” she replied, smiling affectionately. She gave Emma a quick squeeze before pulling away and asking, “Now, why don’t you tell me what you were really doing in here before I walked in?”

Emma’s face grew warm. As much as she wanted to go on pretending it was nothing, she knew there was no use trying to hide anything else from her. Pulling out her phone and pressing play, Emma let the audio continue for a few seconds before pausing it again. Staring intently at her shoes, Emma explained, “I was trying to learn how to dance… for tomorrow.”

When Emma heard a small breath leave Mrs. Greene, she lifted her head to find Veronica staring at her, eyes wide and full of awe and understanding. Smiling fondly, she asked, “How’s it going?”

“Honestly? Not too well,” Emma said, chuckling nervously. 

“Do you mind if I…?” Veronica asked, pointing to Emma’s phone. Emma didn’t hesitate to hand it over, watching as she set it aside. “Those things are great for a lot, but this is one thing best taught outside of the internet. Come stand next to me.”

Emma hesitated a moment before joining Veronica in the middle of the floor. A small part of her wanted to die, but as Veronica led her through the steps with patience and kindness, any embarrassment she might have felt disappeared. They started out side by side, Veronica showing her where to step and when, before eventually Emma was confident enough to try leading. By the end, Emma had never felt more confident on her feet. 

Checking her watch, Emma could hardly believe it. They hadn’t even been there an hour and Emma already felt way more comfortable than she had after the full week of practicing. Hugging Mrs. Greene appreciatively, Emma said, “Thank you. For everything.”

“Thank _you_ , Emma,” Veronica replied, pulling back and holding Emma’s arms firmly. “Promise me one thing though?”

“Anything.”

“Just have fun tomorrow, okay?”

“I promise,” Emma said, smiling easily. She started to head out before stopping, turning back around and asking, “You wouldn’t happen to know Alyssa’s shoe size, would you?”

“Size 8. Why?” 

Emma never answered, but simply smiled, thanking her once more before leaving, now feeling more excited about the date than she thought was even possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, sorry no date yet. But I promise that will be the next chapter! As always, thanks for reading and kudos and an extra special thank you to those who comment!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy new year!! 
> 
> towards the end, i reference a song (Put Your Head On My Shoulder). I'm specifically envisioning Michael Buble's version if you care to listen to it, but all versions are good!

Taking a deep breath, Emma knocked on the door of the Greene’s residence. Her heart was racing with anticipation and her veins were coursing with nerves. From inside the house she could hear Veronica yelling, “Honey, I think my future daughter-in-law is here” and a subsequent groan from Alyssa herself. The corners of Emma’s mouth curled up and she felt her tension dial down a notch. 

A few seconds later, Alyssa slipped out the door, quickly closing it behind her and looking a little flustered. She took Emma’s advice to dress warm very seriously, if her button down coat, scarf, and boots were any indication. Her hair was down, but she kept it tame with a knitted headband and wore gloves to match. After realizing she was simply gaping at Alyssa, Emma swallowed before saying, “Hi.”

“Hi,” Alyssa echoed back, smiling adoringly.

“You look beautiful,” Emma said, still a little awestruck. After a moment, she remembered she was holding something behind her back. “These are for you,” she explained, offering a bouquet of flowers.

A small gasp escaped Alyssa and her face brightened as she took the flowers from Emma, burying her nose in them. Looking back at Emma, she whispered, “I love them. Thank you.” Their eyes stayed locked for a moment, both smiling shyly at the other. “I’m gonna go put these inside real quick. I would invite you in, but I worry that my mother will hold us hostage.”

Although Alyssa laughed lightly, Emma could still hear the undertones of genuine fear and it only made her smile more. “I get it. I’ll wait here.”

Alyssa began to turn but stopped, pausing for a moment before she stepped towards Emma, leaning in and placing a quick but sweet kiss on her cheek. Then she turned around, disappearing into the house and leaving Emma a puddle on her doorstep. Alyssa could’ve been gone for two seconds or two hours and Emma wouldn’t know the difference, because time for her stopped the second Alyssa’s lips touched her cheek. She stood there for however long, completely frozen with a dopey smile on her face until Alyssa returned and Emma led them to the truck. 

Once inside, Emma hesitated to start the truck and turned to Alyssa, who was looking at her with a gentle curiosity. 

“Is everything okay, Em?”

“Yeah, sorry, everything is fine. I just have something I need to tell you before we go. In case it changes your mind,” Emma explained nervously.

“I can’t imagine something that would, but of course. You can tell me anything,” Alyssa said, her tone a mixture of sincerity and concern. 

“I… may have accidentally told your mother about the date tonight. I didn’t know it was a secret from her and she promised not to say anything, but you deserve the truth. I’m so sorry, Alyssa,” Emma rushed out, ducking her head in shame. She heard a long breath release and then felt a gentle hand on her arm that pulled her gaze back to Alyssa. Her face was soft and she looked far more relaxed than before Emma’s confession.

“Please don’t apologize for that, Emma. It was never meant to be a secret, I was just… enjoying it for myself before my personal wedding planner got ahold of the news,” Alyssa said, sounding almost embarrassed. “Otherwise? I probably would have been handing out flyers announcing the date. Besides, she cracked the second I finally told her today.”

Emma laughed easily as there was no more weight sitting on her chest. “So you knew she knew?”

“Yes, and I instantly figured it was because you had done some annoyingly charming and chivalrous thing,” Alyssa teased with a wink. “Honestly, I should have predicted that. You’re kind of amazing, you know that?”

Heat rushed to Emma’s cheeks. “I dunno about that, but I’m glad you’re not upset.”

“Well, I do know,” Alyssa said with a certain sincerity before shifting into a more bashful demeanor. “And, uh, my mother thinks so too. I think I finally broke her today.”

“Oh?” Emma asked curiously. “How’d you manage that?”

“Well, first off you should know my mother has practically been throwing me your direction since I got back to town. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but she’s a big fan of yours.”

Emma laughed awkwardly. “I mean, I knew she didn’t hate me…”

“Seriously, Em, she might be obsessed. But who could blame her?” Emma felt her blush peak at her ears as Alyssa smirked her way before continuing. “Anyway, during our conversation, I said something along the lines of ‘she’s pretty spectacular, huh?’ and, well…I honestly thought her head was gonna explode. She left the room, but I could hear her mumbling to herself, mocking my statement and rambling about how that’s what she’s been saying for the past month.”

Emma bit the insides of her cheeks, trying not to laugh as Alyssa zoned out, her eyes growing wide as she recalled the moment. 

“It went on for about ten minutes before she finally cooled down and collected herself,” Alyssa said, returning to reality and looking at Emma once more, squeezing her arm lightly. “I definitely haven’t changed my mind about this, about you. If anything, I’ve never been more sure. So as long as you’re still up for the date…”

Emma smiled at Alyssa while she started up her truck. “Let’s get going then, shall we?”

Alyssa mirrored her expression as she took off. They didn’t drive too far, however, before Emma was pulling over again. Alyssa eyed her curiously before asking, “Isn’t this yours and Betsy’s house?”

“Yeah…” Emma suddenly felt shy as she began to explain, “I thought I could make you dinner first and then I have a surprise planned out for after.”

Alyssa quirked an eyebrow at Emma as another smirk took over her lips. “Now, Miss Nolan, was my mother wrong about you after all?”

“No. Oh god, no, that’s not what I meant at all, I-” Emma’s flustered rambling was cut short when Alyssa placed the tips of her fingers over Emma’s lips, only deepening her blush.

“I was only teasing, Em. I know you.” Alyssa slid her fingers off Emma’s mouth, taking a second to trace along her lips first, eyes watching the gesture before meeting Emma’s once more. All breathing had ceased on Emma’s end, only returning when Alyssa finally broke their eye contact to gaze out her window. “Wait, is that…”

Alyssa never finished her sentence, before she flung the door open and raced to the yard. Shaking her head and fully returning to reality, Emma jumped out of the truck to follow her. When she caught up to her, Alyssa was stopped, gaping at her surprise. Scratching the back of her neck, Emma nervously asked, “Do you like it?”

“Emma… Did you build me an ice rink?” Alyssa asked in return, awe carrying her tone.

“Yeah. I know the one in town gets closed whenever the owner feels like it and I didn’t wanna risk it not being open today, so I thought… Why not build our own?” Emma paused a moment. “Is it too much?”

“No,” Alyssa said quickly, looking at Emma with tears in her eyes. “No, it’s perfect. You’re perfect.”

A tear rolled down Alyssa’s cheek and Emma instinctually wiped it away. Alyssa leaned into the touch, closing her eyes and smiling as Emma caressed her cheek. Emma’s free hand twitched, aching to join the other in holding Alyssa, but she swallowed down the temptation. Gently she whispered, “Careful, Lys, don’t want those tears freezing on your face.”

Alyssa’s eyes blinked open before she scrunched her face at Emma. Taking Emma’s hand into her own, she said, “I know you had this all planned out, but I’m not terribly hungry yet. Is there any chance we could skate now and have dinner after?”

Alyssa sounded far too giddy and looked far too adorable that Emma didn’t stand a chance of saying no even if she wanted too. So instead she nodded with equal excitement and grabbed the skates she had bought for them both. Alyssa was ready and on the ice before Emma even finished tying her first skate. As Alyssa glided along the ice, completely lost in the moment, Emma abandoned her other skate and let herself get lost too. She’d never seen Alyssa so carefree and relaxed in her life than she was in that moment. Emma would give anything to let her feel that way everyday. 

“Are you just gonna watch me all day or are you actually planning on joining me?” Alyssa teased, not stopping her motions.

“Is watching you an option? Because if so…”

“Emma, please?”

And again, Emma was a simple gay. “Okay, just a minute.”

Emma had skated before, but it had been at least a few years and she was never really good at in anyway. In hindsight, she probably should spent a night or two of dance practice out on the ice, but it was too late for that. She took a few steps onto the homemade rink and stumbled forward a few steps until two surprisingly strong arms balanced her. She looked up to meet warm brown eyes and a winning smile. Their faces were close, merely inches apart, and the moment felt all too familiar. Except this time, Emma didn’t feel that same fear pulling her away. Instead, she felt something entirely different pulling her forward. Alyssa’s eyes fluttered, but she didn’t pull away either. 

Emma closed her eyes and held her breath, completely ready for her world to change.

But then Alyssa’s phone rang, and Emma jumped, fumbling again until her butt hit the ice, accidentally dragging Alyssa with her. Emma’s eyes were still screwed shut and she might have laid there till the earth swallowed her whole if it wasn’t for Alyssa giggling on top of her, brushing blonde hair out of her face before placing a swift but sweet kiss to her cheek again. 

Alyssa got up, helping Emma stand as well before she hobbled through the snow to answer her phone. Emma’s heart sunk as Alyssa’s smile instantly faded, her shoulders slumping as the call went on. Emma looked away, not wanting to intrude on Alyssa’s phone call and instead used the time to try and get more comfortable on the ice before Alyssa returned. 

After ten minutes, Alyssa finally returned with a series of apologies, but Emma gently hushed her. “It’s okay, Lys. You don’t have to apologize about having responsibilities.”

“Thank you for understanding.” Alyssa sighed, her shoulders relaxing, but eyes still sad. “I’m mostly just disappointed we got interrupted…”

Emma’s body felt warm as Alyssa blinked, looking up at Emma under heavy lashes. Her heart was pounding in her chest. “Don’t be. The night is still young.”

The smile returned to Alyssa’s lips and she held her hand out. Emma happily grabbed it, letting Alyssa lead her out onto the ice.

//

Alyssa couldn’t remember the last time she had so much fun or felt so cared for. From the flowers to the ice rink to Emma making her dinner, Alyssa was truly overwhelmed from the affection. A small part of her was almost terrified by how much Emma Nolan affected her heart and soul. 

Just like everything to do with Emma, dinner was perfect. Emma had made enough for her grandma too, which Alyssa thought was the sweetest, but when they tried calling for her to join them, they instead found a note that read:

_Dear ~~girls~~ Emma, _

_Cheryl (the nice woman who runs the bed and breakfast) is trying out a few changes and she asked me to stay the night as a guest to leave my honest review, which I guess leaves the house empty for the night. For informations sake, I won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon. I do hope you will be fine all by yourself in the big empty house that I will not be returning to at all tonight or tomorrow morning._

_Much love,  
Gran_

Alyssa laughed as Emma groaned, her face switching between ten shades of red in ten seconds. “I’m not sure who is worse at being subtle: my mother or your gran.”

“I think they took lessons from the same acting teacher.”

Locking eyes, they simultaneously tilted their heads and said, “Trent.”

They shared a laugh before Emma set the note down. Next to where they found it, Besty had left hot cocoa and a bag of mini marshmallows with one, single blanket. Alyssa bit her lip to stop from laughing a second time and Emma shot her a bashful look. Smiling softly, Alyssa held out her hand to Emma, grabbing the blanket with her free hand and leading them into the living room.

Alyssa sat on the ground, leaning against the couch and tucking her legs to her side while Emma put on soft music and got the fire going. Alyssa watched her and was soon filled with a feeling similar to the one she got watching Emma chop the tree down, surprising herself as this self discovery sunk in.

“What’s that look for?” 

Alyssa snapped out of her thoughts to find Emma eyeing her. Her cheeks grew warm as she stumbled over her words. “Oh, nothing. I just…” Emma’s eyebrow quirked up as she walked towards Alyssa. Alyssa held out her hand and pulled Emma down to sit next to her, looking over her soft features before making a choice. “Actually, I was just thinking about how incredibly attracted to you I am.”

Emma choked out an “oh” and Alyssa smirked as a thrilling sensation swept through her. 

“Yeah,” Alyssa breathed, nodding slowly, her lips staying parted as she studied Emma.

“Cool,” Emma practically squeaked, before clearing her throat and saying it again in a lower register. “Cool.”

Deciding not to tease her too terribly just yet, Alyssa stroked her face gently before guiding Emma’s arm around her shoulders and snuggling into her, enjoying the faint crackling of the fire over the soft melodies filling the room. “This is nice.”

Emma hummed in agreement, brushing her fingers lightly up and down Alyssa’s arm. 

“Did you ever think we’d get here?” She asked it in a way that sounded casual even though they both knew it wasn’t.

“Honestly? As much as I thought about it, I figured it was just some pipe dream,” Emma confessed. Her hand halted it’s movement and Alyssa felt her shift before she asked, barely above a whisper, “What changed, Alyssa?”

Alyssa swallowed hard. Hesitantly, she asked, “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean,” Emma said quietly. 

She was right. Alyssa did know what Emma was asking, but she still wasn’t entirely sure of the answer herself. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I just… I don’t know.”

“There has to be something. You hated me before but now… Don’t get me wrong, I love where we are now, I’m just curious.” Emma shrugged as if she was trying not to seem too vulnerable.

Alyssa sat up, sitting on her knees to face Emma directly. Her brows pulled together as she gently brought her hand up to hold the side of Emma’s face, looking her directly in the eye and hoping her sincerity came through as she said, “I have never once hated you, Emma - not once. And I am so sorry for the way I’ve treated you in the past and made you feel. It’s no excuse, but I was a really unhappy child who took that out on the one person who was ever consistently kind to me.

“Over the years, I think I wound up connecting you to all that unhappiness in a way I didn’t really understand or… maybe I did but didn’t want to face it. So I repressed my memories and my feelings… and - god, is this even making sense anymore?”

“I think,” Emma said softly. “Alyssa, I’m really sorry I kept getting the role of angel all those years. I really didn’t want it and if that’s what created a wedge between you and your dad-”

“No,” Alyssa cut her off, sighing heavily. “No, that’s not it all. I think that’s what I wanted to believe. At least, that’s what was easier to believe. But…” 

After Alyssa stayed silent for a while, Emma echoed, “But?”

“I don’t know,” Alyssa said quietly, sadly. “I know I’m missing something and I feel like I’m right there, but I can’t see it.”

Alyssa’s face suddenly felt warm again and she was surprised to find it was due to tears this time. Emma wiped Alyssa’s cheeks before hushing her, bringing her back neatly tucked into her side and pressing a tender kiss to the top of her head. “It’s okay, Alyssa. We’re here now.”

Alyssa sighed, feeling tension release from her chest as she closed her eyes and sunk into Emma. Neither said anything more on the topic and Alyssa was grateful for the time to try and collect herself. They stayed there, simply being, for quite some time until a tune all too familiar began to fill the room. 

“I love this song,” Alyssa hummed.

“Put Your Head On My Shoulder, right?” Emma guessed and Alyssa responded with another hum and nod. Emma shifted nervously under Alyssa before she heard her ask, “Would you care to dance with me, Alyssa?”

Sitting up, brows lifting as well, Alyssa eyed Emma curiously. Her instinct was to tease Emma about having previously told her she couldn’t dance, but all she really wanted to say was, “I would love that.”

Emma stood up first, holding out her hand to help Alyssa up next. Emma led her a few steps into the center of the room before grasping Alyssa’s hand with one of hers and resting the other on Alyssa’s waist. Alyssa rest her free hand on Emma’s shoulders and let her lead them in a sweet slow dance. It was clear to Alyssa that Emma had been taught how to properly dance. The steps were careful and precise and felt almost too perfect. 

Alyssa slid her hand along Emma’s shoulder and let the tips of her fingers scratch into blonde curls. Emma immediately relaxed to the touch, allowing Alyssa’s body to drift closer to Emma’s until half of their bodies lined up flush against each other. Emma pulled their entwined hands closer to her body as she let her other hand slip behind to Alyssa’s lower back. Their cheeks pressed gently together, causing Alyssa’s eyes to close. 

Gently and softly, Alyssa sang along with the next verse as they swayed together. 

_Put your lips next to mine, dear  
Won't you kiss me once, baby  
Just a kiss goodnight, maybe  
You and I will fall in love._

“Alyssa?” Emma whispered.

“Yes, Emma?”

They both stopped. Emma leaned back, looking at Alyssa in a way that was both tender and passionate, instantly melting her. Her voice matched her demeanor in intensity as she said, “I know it’s still so early and this probably sounds crazy, but I need you to know I am in. I am all in.”

Alyssa’s mouth gaped at Emma’s conviction. She thought perhaps she should be frightened or cautious, but instead she felt her heart completely surrender to Emma in that moment. Her heart was pounding out of her chest and she knew she could never form the right words in response. Slipping her one hand out of Emma’s, she slid both languidly up Emma’s shoulders, her neck, all the while Emma’s expertly wrapped around her torso, bringing them impossibly closer. Their breath filled the space between them as they drew closer and Alyssa couldn’t tear her eyes away from Emma’s - she didn’t want to miss a single detail of this moment. 

Just as she began to feel the gentlest brush of Emma’s lips against her own, her phone went off again.

Alyssa groaned, resting her forehead against Emma’s for a moment before looking in the direction of her phone. 

“Answer it. It’s okay,” Emma said softly, genuinely. “We have time, right?”

Alyssa smiled weakly, trying not to pout too much as she nodded. 

Picking up her phone, she realized she’d missed several texts and emails from her boss. Not sure where to begin, she decided on a voicemail.

It was brief, but intense. Her boss used the fifteen seconds to tell Alyssa the renovations were completed and they just got hired for a case that would “change their careers”. Her heart began to race for reasons nearly polar opposite of just moments ago. Dread flooded her system as she began to open the texts and emails, piecing together all the information as she read on. She picked up pacing as she learned about the case, upcoming mandatory meetings, a flight they apparently booked for her the next morning.

She stopped when a firm, comforting hand rested on her shoulder. “Alyssa, breathe. What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

“No,” Alyssa said frantically. “My firm has been trying to get ahold of me for the past hour. They need me back in the city asap. I have to get on a plane in the morning.”

Emma’s hand fell from Alyssa’s shoulder and she took a step back. “You’re leaving tomorrow?”

“Yes,” Alyssa asnwered, still reading emails on her phone in a frenzy. 

“I don’t understand,” Emma whispered. 

“We just got a huge client, one that would be really good for the firm, but it’s a rushed case. We don’t have a lot of time, but if we can win this, it would be a huge account. They’re calling an emergency meeting, everyone is required to be there.” Her panic continued to rise as she read more angry emails from her boss. “I just talked to her two hours ago, I don’t….”

“What about the pageant?”

“I’m sure my mother or someone else will record it. Besides, the kids know the dance perfectly - they don’t need me anymore,” she said, trying to quell Emma’s worry.

“And what about Barry? Grace?”

“I’m sure I can still help them from New York, Emma. It’s mostly just paperwork. Either way, I have enough connections to find someone closer who could help. I don’t need to be here for that either.” 

“Okay, well what about us? What about this?” Emma said, her voice trembling as she motioned between them. She looked so small and Alyssa’s heart tugged, begging her to go to Emma.

But her chest was tight, knotted with stress and pressure from every direction. To say she was overwhelmed would be the biggest understatement of her life. She felt her heart pulling her one way while her brain steered her the other. “It’s my entire career, Emma. I’ve been working half my life for this. The plan was always for me to go back, I…”

“So why did you agree to the date, Alyssa? If it would never mean anything anyway?”

“That’s not fair, Emma. That’s not fair and that’s not true. I just… I don’t live here. This isn’t my life.” Alyssa’s voice was small, but not as small as she felt. 

“Okay,” Emma said shortly. She stared at Alyssa for a moment before she shook her head, looking away and running a hand through her hair before walking over to a drawer, pulling out a small wrapped package. Still unable to look at Alyssa, Emma shoved the parcel into Alyssa’s hand. “Merry Christmas, Alyssa.”

“Emma…”

“Please, don’t make it hurt more than it already does. Just… go.”

A sob caught in Alyssa’s throat as she stood there a moment longer, feeling as if her entire soul wasn’t with her anymore - as if it remained in that moment right before she checked her phone, right before reality dragged her body away from it. But she knew there was nothing more she could say to fix it. Not at that point. So she heeded Emma’s plea, leaving her there with a part of herself she feared she’d never see again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! As always, kudos and comments are what keep me going... even if they are a little angrier this time alksfjdlk


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The penultimate chapter!

By the time Alyssa had gotten home, her tears had stopped rolling and the tightness in her chest was gone. Or perhaps it was still there. Alyssa couldn’t be sure now that all she felt was numb. Her mother excitedly jumped up when she walked into the house, asking a thousand questions before rounding the corner to the entryway and spotting her daughter. Her smile instantly fell and before Alyssa could breathe properly, her mom had her wrapped in her arms. As much as she knew her mother was dying for details, she never once asked or pressed her on it and Alyssa couldn’t be more grateful. All she wanted to do in that moment was lie down and sleep it all away.

The next morning, Alyssa woke up early, ghosting through her room and packing mindlessly. She hadn’t slept well, tossing and turning all night as her and Emma’s exchange echoed through her mind. 

When she heard her mother stirring about, she took a deep breath, realizing she’d better go explain what exactly had happened. After facing the disappointment in Emma’s eyes last night, she’d hoped seeing the similar look in her mother’s wouldn’t hurt quite as bad and she was right, for the most part. It also helped that her mother quietly accepted that she was leaving rather than opposed her on her decision to go. Well, vocally at least. Alyssa could tell her mom didn’t approve, but she didn’t want to spend what time they had left trying to defend her choice. Especially because that would also mean having to confront the small part of her that was telling her it wasn’t the right one.

They didn’t have much time before they had to leave for the airport. It was quite a bit of a drive from Edgewater to the nearest airport and a Greene always arrived to the terminal no later than two and a half hours before their departure time. 

As they said their goodbyes, her mother held her tightly, only pulling back to say, “Promise me something? Promise me you’ll choose happiness? Success means nothing without it. So promise me, love, choose happiness.”

All Alyssa could do was choke back a sob, nodding weakly but still entering the airport and heading through security. As she sat there with nothing but her carryon and her thoughts, she was startled by the announcement that her flight would be delayed a few hours. Not sure if she would survive anymore time without a distraction, she pulled out her laptop and opened her emails, figuring she could try and start working on the case. It was no use though. 

Her mind kept wandering elsewhere. 

Sighing, she closed her laptop, putting it away. She checked her watch - still two more hours. Getting comfortable, Alyssa held her bag tightly to her, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. 

Jerking awake, Alyssa panicked when she realized her gate was now empty. She quickly jumped up, finding the nearest flight attendant who explained that she didn’t miss her flight, it just got delayed till the next day. Thanking the employee, Alyssa waited till she was out of earshot to let out a groan. She pulled out her phone to text her mother.

**Alyssa: Flight got delayed till tomorrow.**

**Mom: Oh no, honey! I’m stuck at rehearsal for a bit more but will head over right after.**

**Alyssa: Thank you, mom, but the airline has offered me a hotel for the night. It would be silly to drive here tonight just to bring me back tomorrow.**

Alyssa paused, chewing her lip for a moment. 

**Alyssa: How’s rehearsal?**

She quickly put her phone away, unable to look at it until she found her way to her hotel room. Her mom responded with a short video of the rehearsal, the kids all in costume, getting ready for the big show. It was only two days till Christmas and Alyssa smiled at how well they all looked. A small part of her felt as if something was missing, but she could quite place what. Before she had time to analyze it, blonde curls began to come into frame and she quickly closed out of the video. Setting her phone down on the nightstand, she closed her eyes, praying things went better tomorrow at the airport and she could get back to her life in the city.

Unnecessarily early again, Alyssa sat eating lunch in a cafe in the terminal. So far, her flight seemed to be on schedule and in the clear to leave on time. 

The second night of sleep helped tremendously. She still didn’t feel entirely confident, but she felt considerably lighter than she had been. 

It was Christmas Eve now and the airport felt almost eerily quiet and her mind kept trying to use it as an opportunity to replay her entire stay in Edgewater. 

Needing noise, Alyssa reached into one of the small pockets of her bag and fished around for headphones. Instead, her hand found an unusual object, about the size of a softball. Pulling it out, her heart dropped as she realized what it was.

In all the chaos of the moment, Alyssa had completely forgotten Emma had handed her a messily wrapped present that night. She held it in her hands, unable to do anything but stare at it. Her fingers twitched, aching to open it while her heart begged her not to. She couldn’t be sure how long she sat there, frozen and unsure what to do before she held her breath and began to unwrap the parcel.

The first thing she noticed was an ornament. It was ceramic and unmistakably an angel. It looked hand painted, making it instantly feel all the more special. Along with it a note, that in messy scrawl read, _”Alyssa, You don’t need to be cast in some role to be angel. You always have been to me. -Emma”_. 

Alyssa blinked back tears as she studied the present, wanting to remember every detail of it. After turning it over a few times, she noticed four digits carved into the bottom. She thought a moment, staring at the note again before realizing it was a year - more so it was the year they were twelve and Emma missed the pageant. 

A memory rushed back, one of Emma telling Alyssa her parents had found a gift she got for her first crush. There was no more holding back tears. As they flowed freely down her face, she didn’t even bother trying to wipe them away. There was no use. Emma not only made such a thoughtful gift for her when they were merely children, but she thought it was important enough to hold onto after all these years. 

Alyssa’s phone went off, a call from her firm, but she hit ignore. And she hit ignore when they called back again, a second and third time. She felt truly broken as she sat there, reading the note over, thinking about how it took her 18 years to fix things with the person who cared about her most just to throw it all away for a job which, if she was being honest with herself, she really couldn’t stand. To think she even tried to convince herself her job was a fraction as important as Emma was to her seemed so absurd now. 

Her phone went off a fourth time and just as she was about to answer it and tell them to bug off, she realized it was from her mother this time. Another video attached with the message:

**Mom: Last rehearsal! Everyone looks so great!**

Alyssa watched the video and got the same feeling she did the day before. Something wasn’t right. So she watched it again and again before she realized what it was. Going back to the video her mom sent the day before, she confirmed her fears. 

Grace wasn’t there.

//

After watching Alyssa walk out of her life for good, Emma slumped around her house. As upset as she was with what had happened, she was more disappointed with herself than anything. Of course Emma had known Alyssa was only visiting. That was not new information to her. When she asked Alyssa out, she convinced herself she would be okay when the day came for Alyssa to leave. She _knew_ she would be okay, because even the smallest amount of time with Alyssa would be better than nothing. 

She also knew she reacted harshly in the moment. She was caught off guard and surprised and hurt. They were supposed to have more time. She thought they would have more time.

But then Alyssa got that phone call and Emma felt like she was being robbed of it.

None of that really mattered anymore though. Alyssa was gone, headed back to her real life and it was time for Emma to do the same. There was no use moping around about a woman she probably wouldn’t see for another 18 years, right?

Falling asleep that night wasn’t difficult. She was completely and utterly exhausted and the second she hit the bed and closed her eyes, she was out. 

Officially on winter break, Emma slept in the next day, not needing to be anywhere until that afternoon. She went absentmindedly through the motions of her morning routine and settled into a chair in the living room, going over final notes for the pageant, making a list of everything that needed to be checked over and finished still.

Emma heard the front door open before her grandma called, “Emma? Are you home?”

“In the living room,” she answered back.

Betsy entered the living room, a hand over her eyes as she felt the wall to guide her. 

“Gran, what are you doing?”

Keeping her hand raised, she said, “Oh nothing. How are you two doing? Have a nice night?”

Emma sighed heavily. “It’s just me, Gran.”

“Oh,” she said before lowering her hand and frowning. “Alyssa leave early this morning?”

“Alyssa left early last night,” Emma mumbled, looking back at her notes.

“Oh sweetie.” Betsy moved to sit down on the couch closest to Emma. “Is everything okay?”

Emma shrugged, not looking away from her papers. “Sure, she just had to get back to New York earlier than planned.”

Betsy remained silent for a while before she patted Emma’s thigh and stood up. “I’m here if you need to talk.”

Emma thanked her, but knew there was no use talking. It wouldn’t change anything. Besides, the pageant was in two days and she still had quite a bit to keep her busy.

The final two rehearsals did well to keep her distracted in some ways and in others made it all the worse. When she actually had to do some directing or instructing, she nearly forgot about Alyssa all together. But then she would see the dance number or look at the angel and suddenly she was overwhelmed with it all again. 

To make matters worse, Grace hadn’t shown up either day. The first day, her and Barry shrugged it off as just another irresponsible action of Sadie’s. But when she wasn’t there the next day, Barry grew worried again. After calling Sadie several times, she finally called him back and said she no longer wanted Grace to be around him or the pageant. 

They suspected she heard about Alyssa and Dee Dee meeting, but couldn’t be sure. Whatever the reasoning, Emma felt helpless as she held Barry after rehearsals while he silently wept. She did her best to soothe him, reminding him that one way or the other Alyssa would still help, because even after everything, Emma still knew it to be true.

She got home later than usual that night, staying with Barry as long as he needed her. The second she got home, though, she got right to work. Without Grace in the pageant, there were a few scenes that would need to be reworked and she had a long night ahead of her. 

Lost in her work, she was startled when an urgent knock echoed from her door. Checking to find it was well past 9 o’clock, she got up from her chair and went to answer it before they woke up Gran as well. 

Emma felt all the air get sucked out of her when she opened the door to find Alyssa Greene standing on her doorstep. She looked distressed and a little surprised, as if she wasn’t expecting Emma to actually answer the door. Brows furrowed, Emma asked, a little shorter than intended, “What do you want?”

Alyssa’s mouth fell open, as if she was stunned herself, before she closed it again. She took a deep breath before saying, “A lot of things, Emma. But first, I think I found a way to get Barry temporary custody of Grace. As soon as I realized she wasn’t at rehearsal, I got back here as fast as I could. I had a lot of time on the bus back to town and I did some digging…”

“You took the bus?” Emma asked shocked before Alyssa held out her phone towards Emma to reveal a series of incriminating evidence she had found online. “Jesus…”

“Yeah,” Alyssa said sadly. “It’s not good, but it’s more than enough to get Grace out of her care. I already called Dee Dee and she’s getting the paperwork written up. There are two ways we can go about this and that’s where I need your help, really.”

Emma still felt a little dazed from the combination of seeing Alyssa again and the things on her phone. “Yeah, of course. Whatever I can do.”

Emma grabbed her coat, and led Alyssa to her truck. On the way to Barry, Alyssa gave her a quick rundown of what they could do. It was a lot of information to process and Emma remained silent, taking it all in. 

Once they got to Barry’s, Alyssa eyed the spot in the middle next to Emma. Emma gave her a small nod, looking away. Alyssa slid into the center, muttering an apology when she bumped into Emma. She shrugged it off, not saying anything as she swallowed hard, trying her best to ignore the way her body ignited from Alyssa’s fleeting touch. 

When Barry got into the truck, it was clear he had been sleeping when they called. He seemed groggy and still a little confused, but Emma couldn’t miss the glimmer of hope in his eyes as Alyssa caught him up. 

“Does that make sense?” Alyssa asked. 

“Yeah, I think so…” Barry nodded, his eyes zoning out as he processed it all. “So I can either turn her in directly to the police, in which she’ll be arrested and I’ll get temporary custody, or we can go ask her to sign custody over now and we delete what we have?”

“Essentially yes.” 

Emma pulled up to a house, parking behind a smaller car. She put her truck into park and Dee Dee Allen emerged from the vehicle in front of them. “Do you need more time to think about it?”

“No,” Barry whispered. “I’m not gonna make that little girl watch her mom get arrested. I’m gonna plea with Sadie to do the right thing and take care of herself first. I don’t want her out of Grace’s life entirely, but Grace deserves to be in a more stable environment.”

Emma nodded, proud of her friend and his unwavering strength. “Do you want us to stay with you?”

He smiled weakly and shook his head. “I don’t want her to get overwhelmed or feel outnumbered. Thank you, though. Thank you both. I honestly wasn’t sure what I was going to do anymore. I was so worried and I-”

“Hey,” Alyssa said soothingly, resting her hand on his. “You don’t have to think about that anymore, okay? Everything is gonna work out.”

He blinked back tears, hugging them both the best he could in the cab of Emma’s truck before he made his way with Dee Dee up to the front door. They waited until Sadie let them both into the house before Emma started up the truck. 

The drive back was silent and uncomfortable. Once they started moving, Alyssa let out an “oh” before awkwardly scooting to the now open passenger seat and Emma wished she didn’t miss the proximity. “Are you, uh, staying at your moms tonight?”

“Oh, yeah. But I can walk home from your house, you don’t have to…”

“Alyssa, I’m not going to make you walk back in the cold, dark snow.”

“You should,” Alyssa mumbled.

Emma eyed her sideways, thinking for a moment before replying, “Yeah, I probably should.”

A grin found Alyssa’s lips and a smirk met Emma’s, and the two exchanged a look, filling Emma with hope she hadn’t been expecting to experience again anytime soon. 

“Emma, could we talk?” Alyssa looked nervous. “Only if you’re up for it though. I also understand if you’d rather just drop me off and never-“

“No,” Emma said quickly. “I mean, yes. I would really like it if we did talk.”

“Yeah?” Alyssa asked, relaxing a bit.

Emma smiled softly. “Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for sticking with me! One more to gooooo!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh shoot! Last chapter!! I just wanted to give a huge thank you again to the people who had to listen to me yell about this for the past month or so: Fives (the queen of aus and blowing my mind), Scoresandstars (all the greenelan family goodness I could hope for), and seaunicorn (the one who keeps coming for my life with her perfect fics of aus i didn't know i needed in my life). And of course, Cled, who puts up with so much more than just my fic yelling. I love you all so dearly!! Thank you!

“Thanks for agreeing to keep me company while I wait to hear from Barry,” Emma said quietly but sincerely.

“Of course,” Alyssa replied with a gentle smiling, resisting the urge to reach out to her. “Besides, it gives us time to talk.”

Emma nodded, her legs dangling over the edge of the stage in the gymnasium. After agreeing to hear Alyssa out, Emma drove them in an uncomfortable silence to the school for a quiet and warm place to talk. It took every last ounce of Alyssa’s self control not to blurt out a string of apologies and confess her true feelings in the awkward ride over. 

After silence began to creep back in, both girls started nervously.

“Did you wanna-”

“What are you-”

They instantly cut themselves off, ending in sharp chuckles. Alyssa rested her hand on Emma’s for a brief moment before pulling away swiftly. “You can go first, if you want.”

Emma took a deep breath, glancing at Alyssa before looking at her hands. While she talked, her gaze flickered between the two hesitantly. “I wanted to say I’m sorry, Alyssa. I reacted harshly and said things I didn’t mean. I knew you were never going to stay here. I knew that the whole time. I think I just let myself get so caught up in the moment and everything we could be, everything I wanted us to be… I’m just really sorry.”

Alyssa flinched at her use of “wanted” rather than “want”, but she did her best to focus on all she needed Emma to hear from her. Shaking her head, she said, “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have let anything happen when I was planning to go back to New York anyway. But when you asked me out, saying yes was the easiest thing I’ve ever done and any other answer felt wrong. And then you planned this entire perfect evening and I ruined it. I ruined everything and that’s something I’ll always regret.”

“Hey,” Emma said, looking to Alyssa with both softness and conviction. “You shouldn’t regret it. I know I don’t. It may not have ended ideally, but everything else was pretty amazing and I wouldn’t trade that for the world.” 

Emma’s words hit Alyssa in a way that was truly bittersweet, clinging to the positives while the possibilities lingered in the air. Tears rushed Alyssa’s eyes and she looked up trying to blink them away. She took a deep, calming breath before saying, “I opened the present.”

“Oh,” was all Emma said in return.

“It was beautiful and thoughtful. Thank you.” Alyssa fidgeted with her fingers for a moment. “Can I tell you something?”

Emma nodded.

“All these years, I let myself believe I was never good enough for my dad and that’s why he left when I was a kid. I thought never getting to be the angel was the last straw that pushed him out the door and out of my life and I let myself blame you.” Emma started to withdraw and Alyssa reached out for her. “But I was wrong. I was wrong about everything and it wasn’t until I sat on the bus back here, unable to look away from the ornament and note that 12 year old you wrote, that I began to remember things how they really were.”

Alyssa held Emma’s hands firmly, looking deep into her eyes and hoping she was following. “The one thing I got right about it all is that my dad wasn’t proud of me, but not because I didn’t get some dumb role. It’s still a little fuzzy, but I remember now, conversations with him, rambling about you for hours and him telling me I should spend time with other kids. I remember him and mom fighting about how I shouldn’t be in the pageant or see you anymore. I thought it was because you were the angel, but I think they knew what I didn’t quite yet understand at that age.”

Emma stared at her, blinking a few times.

“I think they knew I had a crush on you, Emma. And my dad didn’t handle it well.” 

“Alyssa, I’m so-”

“Don’t be sorry,” Alyssa said. “He may not have been proud of me, but it turns out I’m not proud of him either. I guess what I’m trying to say is, all these years I let myself believe that you were in the way of what I wanted, in the way of my happiness, when really you are all that I wanted. You are my happiness, Emma Nolan.”

A small gasp slipped past Emma’s lips. They quivered as she searched for a response. “Alyssa…”

“I know I’ve messed up, Emma, more than once and I can’t promise I won’t mess up again.” Alyssa’s grip on Emma’s hands tightened as her words became more determined. “But I can promise you that it will never be about how I feel for you.”

Emma shook her head as tears sprung to her eyes, almost covering the look of fear and longing swirling amongst the hazel. She climbed off the stage, walking away a few steps before turning back to Alyssa. Rubbing her hand over her mouth, she asked, “What about New York? Your job?”

“I quit.”

Emma froze where she stood. “You what?”

“I quit. Earlier today,” Alyssa said, a smile rising to her lips. “Of the many things I realized these past few days, one of them was that I want to do work I’m proud of. I’m still figuring out the details, but I’m gonna move back in with my mom. Dee Dee mentioned needing help at their office, so I thought I would apply for that while I come up with a more concrete plan. I’m ready to do something that matters.” Alyssa paused,hopping off the stage and taking a step towards Emma. “With somebody who matters.”

“Alyssa…” Emma said, still looking hesitant but not turning away.

Moving closer to Emma, Alyssa’s heart began to pound in her chest. “I love you, Emma. I don’t have much to offer you - I’m kind of unemployed right now so no horse drawn carriages or anything like that - but if you give me another chance, I promise to spend our time together trying to make you as happy as you make me.”

Time ceased to exist as Emma stared at her, features shifting between emotions before passion took over. 

In one swift move, Emma stepped forward, pulling Alyssa in by her waist and closing the distance between them. Alyssa nearly whimpered as Emma’s lips finally met her own, pressing together with purpose and meaning. She hesitated a moment, trying to memorize everything about the way Emma felt against her before her hands rose to gently cup Emma’s face.They broke apart barely, adjusting their angle before meeting again, far more determined this time. 

Alyssa’s body rolled into Emma, needing to be as close as possible. Emma reciprocated the sentiment, tightening her grip on Alyssa and keeping them flush together. Alyssa felt light. In that moment, nothing else seemed to matter anymore. All the stress of big life choices and the weight of revelations… None of it mattered as Alyssa and Emma poured into each other all the love and affection they could muster with one kiss. 

They broke apart when Alyssa couldn’t contain her smile anymore. She leaned her forehead against Emma’s, the two huffing short, winded breaths from the life-altering moment. Alyssa’s hands pushed onward, slipping fingers through blonde tresses before sliding down her neck and over her collar bone to rest on her chest. Alyssa could feel Emma’s heart beating steadily under her hands and it echoed through her own body as an unwavering reminder of all that mattered to her now. 

Alyssa’s eyes remained closed as the moment lingered, neither of them wanting want to move, until Emma whispered, “I love you too, Alyssa.”

Alyssa drew back, opening her eyes and giving Emma a small, understanding smile. “You don’t have to…”

“I’m not,” Emma assured. “I love you, Alyssa. I think I’ve loved you for longer than I’ve known. And I still meant what I said. My heart, my soul, every piece of me… I am all in.”

They both pulled the other close again, kissing with love and passion and the promises of a future together. It was intense and searing yet only the beginning of all Alyssa wished to convey with her touch. 

All too soon, however, they were interrupted by the ringing of a phone.

Alyssa groaned almost childishly. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Emma chuckled, placing a sweet kiss on Alyssa’s forehead. “Besides, I think that might’ve been mine this time.”

“Oh,” Alyssa said, feeling almost relieved it wasn’t hers yet again. She let herself get lost watching Emma on the phone, presumably talking to Barry. Her face was soft as she listened to her friend, a tender smile on her lips. Warmth radiated from Alyssa’s heart as she took in the sight. In that moment she was certain she’d never be over how completely and effortlessly beautiful Emma was, inside and out. 

When Emma hung up the phone, Alyssa walked over to her, wrapping her arms around Emma’s waist. In return, Emma slung hers over Alyssa’s shoulders. “That was Barry. It took a lot of talking, but Sadie came around. They’re gonna work on her getting better while Barry watches over Grace. Which also means she’ll be able to still be in the pageant tomorrow.”

“Emma, that’s so wonderful!”

“ _You’re_ wonderful, Alyssa.” Emma beamed at her. “None of this would’ve happened without you. I don’t know how I’ll ever thank you.”

Alyssa tilted her head and smiled tenderly at Emma. “You don’t have to, Em. I’m all in too, you know. From now and for as long as you’ll let me, everything I do is for you.”

//

The pageant came and went in a blur. Emma remembered the opening beat and she remembered the bows, but everything in between was a blur, only to be summed up by immense pride for all the children and how well they performed.

Immediately after the show she was swarmed with townsfolk congratulating her on a job well done. It was sweet and Emma appreciate the shower of love and praise, but she couldn’t help the way her eyes scanned the crowd searching for a certain brunette with a dimple cute enough to make her knees weak. 

Finally spotting Alyssa, Emma made a graceful exit from the crowd and met her halfway, pulling her into a tight embrace. There was a crinkling sound that made Emma jump back slightly. Alyssa laughed, holding out a bouquet of flowers.

“Congratulations, Emma. That was incredible! By far the best pageant this town’s ever seen.” Alyssa said, pride and sincerity glowing from her. 

Emma shook her head laughing. “Thanks, hon, but your opinion is just a little biased.”

“Because I’m in love with the director?” 

“And because you choreographed the show.”

Alyssa gasped playfully. “You’re right. I can’t be trusted.”

Laughing again, Emma held the flowers to the side before pulling Alyssa into another hug, the two instantly melting together. They only broke away when they heard someone clearing their throat next to them. Pulling back, they saw Kaylee standing near. 

Raising her eyebrows, Kaylee pointed above them, bringing both of their attention to a mistletoe dangling overhead. Emma felt her cheeks grow red as her eyes widened. Alyssa looked at her with an affectionate smile, tilting her head for a moment before resting a hand on Emma’s chest and pressing up on her toes to place a sweet kiss to Emma’s cheek. Her eyes fluttered closed while a grin spread across her face from the gesture. When Alyssa pulled back, Emma opened her eyes to meet Alyssa’s, the two staring lovingly at each other. 

“Aw,” Kaylee said genuinely but shortly before shooing them out from under the mistletoe. Alyssa looked almost annoyed but all Emma could do was laugh and pull Alyssa close to her side, wrapping an arm around her. Alyssa started to say something but Emma gently hushed her as they watched Kaylee position herself directly under it. She watched anxiously as a certain mail carrier walked by. 

Once Shelby was close enough, Kaylee grabbed her arm and guided her to stand in front of her. Smiling excitedly, Kaylee looked up, prompting Shelby to do the same. For the first time that Emma knew of (and probably ever), Shelby looked flustered, but gave a quick nod before Kaylee pulled her in for a heated and kind of sloppy kiss. 

Emma heard Alyssa gasp quietly before leaning her head onto Emma’s shoulder as they watched on.

When Kaylee drew back, Shelby’s eyes stayed closed and her parted lips drifted into a goofy smile. Kaylee giggled, reaching out to swipe at Shelby’s lips before leaning forward and whispering something in Shelby’s ear that was met with an enthusiastic nod. 

Looking satisfied, Kaylee bounced off but Shelby stayed planted where she was, watching in a daze. After returning to reality, Shelby noticed the two women spectating. As she passed by Emma, she stopped when they were shoulder to shoulder before muttering, “Don’t,” and walking on.

Emma shook her head, laughing lightly when she heard Alyssa groan beside her. She looked curiously at her before following her gaze to find Veronica not too far away and talking exuberantly with some townsfolk. Now that she was aware of them, she was able to pick up Veronica’s voice carrying over to them. 

“Wasn’t it just wonderful? Best pageant I’ve seen in all my years living here, that’s for sure. In fact, I’d feel confident saying it’s the best one in the entire history of Edgewater Christmases. My daughters _girlfriend_ actually directed the whole show and get this: it was only her first year! Just imagine how much better she’ll be years down the road. Of course, by then I’ll hopefully be able to say my daughter’s _wife_ , but that’s getting a bit off topic, isn’t it?”

“Mom!” Alyssa called, her cheeks red. Emma bit her lip, trying her best not to let her sheer amusement of it all be too obvious.

Jumping slightly, Veronica turned around, only lighting up more when she spotted them. Pointing between the two of them, she mumbled not so quietly, “Are they just the cutest?”

“Mom, a word?” 

“Oh okay, just a minute, honey.” Veronica said her goodbyes to the other townsfolk before making her way over. With a guilty smile, Veronica asked, “What is it, dear?”

Alyssa sighed, trying to hold back a smile. “Can you be cool for just one day?”

Veronica gasped, placing a hand over her chest. “Excuse you, missy, I think I’m very cool. Emma?”

She shrugged. “Coolest mom I know.”

“Thank you, sweetie. This is why you’re my favorite.”

“Hey!” Alyssa objected.

Ignoring her, Veronica reached out for a moment to cup Emma’s cheek. “You did a wonderful job today. You should be very proud. I know I am.” 

Mrs Greene’s words wrapped around Emma like a warm hug. “Thank you. Honestly, that means a lot.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Emma could see Alyssa looking between the too with pure admiration. She appeared as if she was about to say something when Veronica said, looking around, “Alright, I’ll let you two get back to canoodling. I’ve got to find Betsy anyway. We have much to discuss!”

Veronica turned on her heel and took off as Emma and Alyssa looked at each other in mild horror before simultaneously shouting after her, “No!”

//

**_One Year Later_ **

While waiting for Emma, Alyssa began sorting through boxes, separating the tinsel from the ribbon from the ornaments. She didn’t get too far before Emma entered through the doorway with their Christmas tree. Setting it into the base, she stepped back and examined it, smiling proudly. Alyssa walked next to her, slipping an arm around Emma’s waist. “It’s a good tree. You really know how to pick ‘em.”

“Yes I do,” Emma said smiling coyly at Alyssa. “Really though, I’m glad neither Gran nor your mom picked this one. It was by far my favorite.”

“It’s the perfect tree for our first Christmas in the new house,” Alyssa agreed before leaning up and pressing a kiss to Emma’s cheek. “Thank you again for getting one for Mom. It meant a lot to both of us.”

“Of course, love,” Emma said gently with a smile to match. Alyssa felt her shiver before she looked around. “Babe, did you know there’s a window open?”

Her gaze followed Emma’s before returning to her girlfriend. “Yes, I was getting too warm.”

Emma tilted her head, giving her a look. “Why didn’t you just take your sweater off then?”

Alyssa stepped in front of Emma, her fingertips dancing under the hem of Emma’s matching sweater. Leaning up, she whispered in Emma’s ear, “I’ll take off mine if you take off yours.” She had to suppress a giggle when she actually heard Emma gulp. 

“Lys…” Emma barely breathed.

Alyssa drew back. “Okay, fine, I’ll close it. I just liked matching you....”

Sighing, Emma gave in. “Okay, leave it open.”

Smiling triumphantly, Alyssa pressed up on her toes to place a sweet kiss on Emma’s cheek. “Shall we start?”

Emma gave an enthusiastic nod before they got to it, stringing the tree with lights first. Once they were satisfied, they moved on to ornaments. 

“Wait,” Alyssa said. Emma stayed where she was, mildly confused while Alyssa ran down the hallway and into their room. She opened the draw next to her nightstand, grabbing something and returning to the family room. Smiling, Alyssa held up the angel ornament Emma gave her the year before. “Can this be the first one we put on?”

Emma didn’t answer right away. Instead, she took a few steps forward and pulled Alyssa in for a short but heated kiss. Drawing back, Emma stroked her thumb over Alyssa’s cheek once. “If that’s what you want, then yes. Of course.”

Alyssa grinned, pressing another quick kiss to Emma’s lips before hanging the angel on the tree and stepping back. A wave of emotions overwhelmed her as she stood next to the love of her life, in their first home, looking at what was and probably would always be the most meaningful gift she ever received - a small yet immense reminder that Emma was always her destiny.

//

After finishing all the trimmings, Emma excitedly closed the curtains and shut off the overhead lights before plugging in the ones on the tree. A gentle glow cast throughout the room and Emma was as giddy as a child. She turned to look at Alyssa, who was watching her with pure awe. The hues of the lights settled on Alyssa in a way that somehow made her all the more beautiful. Emma wouldn’t have believed that was even possible if she hadn’t seen it with her own two eyes. 

Walking over to her girlfriend, Emma smirked. “I think we did a good job, Lys.”

“Of course we did,” she replied. “We make the best team.”

“We certainly do,” Emma mused, looking back at their fine work.

“But we aren’t quite done.”

Emma looked back at Alyssa with a curious expression. “We aren’t?”

“Nope,” Alyssa said with a knowing smile. “There’s one more thing.”

Emma quirked her head, watching as Alyssa pulled a neatly wrapped box out from the closet. Without an explanation, she handed it to Emma. 

“Open it.”

Furrowing her brows, Emma cautiously unwrapped the box, unsure what to expect. Once the lid was off, she reached in and pulled out a silver snowflake ornament. Engraved on one side read: _”Merry Christmas, Emma”_ with the year at the bottom. It was simple yet beautiful. Flipping it over, Emma read the back once, then twice.

_”Will you marry me?”_

Her heart pounded in her ears and tears rushed to her eyes. When she finally looked away from the ornament, she found Alyssa knelt in front of her, the perfect ring sitting in an opened box. Her voice wavered as she managed, “Alyssa…”

“You are the best thing that ever happened to me, Emma,” Alyssa said, her voice steady and strong. “Without you in my life, I was a mess. I never even knew what it truly meant to be happy. But then we found each other again after all that time and you happened to turn my life around entirely. So what do you say? Will you go all in with me?”

As tears flowed down her face, Emma nodded emphatically. “Yes. Yes, Alyssa. Of course I’ll marry you.”

Alyssa pulled the ring out of the box and slipped it onto Emma’s finger, placing a kiss near it on Emma’s hand. Emma pulled Alyssa up, lifting her up and twirling them both. She leaned in, kissing her with more passion that she ever had. 

Drawing back slightly, Alyssa laughed while tears of her own began to run down her face. “There’s one more surprise.”

“Alyssa, are you trying to kill me?” Emma chuckled.

“Definitely not.” Alyssa smiled, grabbing Emma’s coat and handing it to her. Emma slipped it on as Alyssa dragged her to the front door, opening it up and revealing a horse drawn carriage.

“You didn’t…” Emma said, her jaw nearly falling to the floor. 

“Of course I did. I still owed you one and since Dee Dee’s kept me employed this year…”

Emma laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. “You got me a horse drawn carriage.”

“Yes.”

“And we’re getting married.’

“Yes.” Alyssa said again, smiling uncontrollably. 

Caressing Alyssa’s face, Emma placed a gentle lingering kiss against her lips. 

“Shall we?” Alyssa asked excitedly.

“Yeah, just a second.” Emma ran back into the house, grabbing the ornament out of the box and placing it on the tree, right next to the angel already hanging on it. 

Emma helped Alyssa into the carriage first before climbing in after her. Alyssa had grabbed a blanket, draping it over them as they snuggled closer together.

“This is kind of perfect,” Emma thought out loud.

Alyssa hummed. “You’re kind of perfect.”

Emma laughed lightly. “I just mean, starting out our happily ever after in a horse drawn carriage.”

Alyssa smiled at her knowingly.

“That was no coincidence though, huh?”

It was Alyssa’s turn to laugh. “You make every day feel like a fairytale to me, Emma. It only made sense. Besides, I owed you, remember?”

Emma smiled, shaking her head. “You are something, Alyssa Greene.”

“And you are everything, Emma Nolan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for coming to the all-you-can-eat cheese buffet! It's been fun! It's always hard saying goodbye to a multichapter fic so I appreciate your love at this time. In lieu of flowers, please consider dropping kudos or a comment. Love you all!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Kudos and comments are always most appreciated!


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